I'll Be There For You
by 33andobsessed
Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome become friends at a young age. When Kagome moves away, will Inuyasha find a way to be there for her? He manages to establish a soul connection with Kagome, but there are consequences. Can they deal with them, or will the thing that ke
1. The Beginning

Chapter 1: The Beginning

* * *

"Hey! Girl! Why are you crying?" A young boy squatted down beside a young girl sobbing inconsolably beneath the tree. This was the last thing he thought he'd find at the park today.

"I've lost my mommy! I can't find her anywhere!" The young girl looked up, her dark brown eyes widening slightly in surprise. The boy talking to her appeared to be around 7 or 8 years old; just a few years older than her own 6, but what surprised her the most was the fact that he had silver hair and bright amber eyes. (A/N: In this story, all the characters are human with their normal coloring).

"How did you lose her?"

"I was walking with my mommy and she stopped to talk to a lady. I saw a doggie and went to pet it, but it ran off. I chased it, but it still got away. When I looked back, I couldn't see her. She's lost!" With that, the dark haired girl started to cry again.

The young boy looked thoughtfully at her. "I'll help you find your mommy, but you have to stop crying, 'kay?"

The girl sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "Okay. My name is Kagome. What's your name?"

"Inuyasha." The boy stood and Kagome scrambled to her feet. "Come on, let's go back to the path and see if we can find your mommy." Inuyasha led the way back down the hill to the path that wound through the park.

"Where is your mommy, Inuyasha? Are you lost too?"

The young boy was quiet for a moment before answering. "My dad just died and everyone is at the funeral. I didn't want to be there, so I ran off."

"I'm sorry. My daddy died not long ago too. Everyone was so sad. I miss him. Won't some one wonder where you are at?"

"No, not really. My mom is too upset to notice that I am gone, and my brother won't tell anyone. I'll go home before dinner."

Kagome reached out and took Inuyasha's hand and gave it a squeeze. The two children walked along in companionable silence. Suddenly, Kagome pointed at a woman in front of them.

"There she is! There's my mommy! Come on! I want you to meet her!" She started to drag Inuyasha behind her as she ran to her mother.

"Kagome! There you are! I was getting very worried. Are you okay?" The dark haired woman knelt down and hugged her daughter. She looked at Inuyasha standing nervously behind Kagome. She released her daughter and smiled at the boy who shyly returned her smile.

"Hello there, what's your name?"

"Mommy, his name is Inuyasha and he found me when I was lost and helped me to find you. You know what mommy, his daddy just died too." Kagome's mother got tears in her eyes. She reached out and caught Inuyasha in a hug.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I know that it is not easy win a parent dies. It is okay to cry for him." She looked at him sadly before continuing. "But thank-you for helping Kagome."

Inuyasha held himself stiffly in her arms at first, but then hesitantly put his arms around the woman's neck and returned the hug. He stepped back and quickly wiped away the tears that attempted to gather in his eyes.

"I was glad I could help her. I don't like to see girls cry." Inuyasha turned to leave.

"Where is your mother? Are you here with someone?" Kagome's mother looked at the young boy in concern.

"No, I am here by myself."

"Can I give you a ride home? You shouldn't be in the park by yourself."

"No thanks. There won't be anyone home right now anyway."

Kagome whispered in her mother's ear and her mother smiled and nodded.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't we go get some ice-cream, and then I'll take you home with us and you can play with Kagome for a while. I will take you home a little later. Would that be okay?"

Inuyasha hesitated and looked at Kagome, who gave him a big smile and said "Pleeeessssee?"

"Okay, I guess," he said softly.

The woman stood and took Kagome's hand and reached for Inuyasha with the other. He looked at it and shyly put his hand in hers. She smiled and led the two children off for ice-cream.

Inuyasha and Kagome became strong friends that day. Many were the days that found the two of them playing in the park or at Kagome's house. They never played at Inuyasha's house, but Kagome never seemed to mind. When school started, Inuyasha chased away the schoolyard bullies when they bothered his friend.

The two would share everything that was going on. Inuyasha would make Kagome laugh by telling her how he filled his brother's pillow with pudding or how he buried his brother's favorite shoes. Kagome shared the excitement of her brother's birth. (A/N: Kagome's dad died a month before Inuyasha's. Her mom was pregnant at the time.)

* * *

One morning, Inuyasha found Kagome on the front steps of her house, crying. He sat beside her.

"What's the matter, 'Gome?"

"Mommy told me that we're moving today. We are going to go live with my grandpa in a shrine. She said that he needs help and that he shouldn't live by himself. But I don't want to move! I don't want to leave you!" The young girl threw her arms around Inuyasha's neck and cried harder.

He gingerly held her until she calmed down some.

"Kagome, we are friends, right?" The young girl nodded.

"Friends are always friends, no matter how far away they may be. I'll always be there for you. Whenever you need me, I'll be there for you."

Kagome gave Inuyasha a big hug and whispered a thank-you. Her mother came out and softly told her that it was time to go. Inuyasha walked Kagome to the car and watched as her mother put her baby brother in the car seat before strapping Kagome in. He watched as the car pulled out and as Kagome gave a final, sad wave good-bye. He watched until the car disappeared from sight, before finally turning and making his way sadly back home.

* * *

TBC 


	2. Dreams

Chapter 2: Dreams

* * *

Kagome groaned as her alarm went off. She reached over and shut it off and snuggled back under the covers for a moment longer. She thought back to the dream she just had.

_"What should I do, Inuyasha?" Kagome sat on a grassy hill with her chin on her knees. She looked over at her friend sitting next to her._

_"Well, if you really don't want to go out with Hojo, then you need to tell him, don't just string him along."_

_"I'm not stringing him along. He just doesn't seem to understand that I am not interested in him that way."_

_"You could always tell him you already have a boyfriend." Kagome sat up and looked at Inuyasha in surprise. He blushed faintly, but held her gaze._

_"I don't want to lie to him Inuyasha."_

_"It wouldn't really be a lie, would it?"_

_Kagome blushed and turned away. Inuyasha caught her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him. He leaned in and gently brushed her lips with his._

'What a time for my alarm to go off,' Kagome thought to herself.

She had been having these dreams off and on for the last 11 years (A/N: That makes Kagome 17), but they have been occurring more frequently lately. The dreams always took place on a grassy hill, and Inuyasha would be there waiting. The two friends would talk about anything and everything.

The first one was when Inuyasha told her that his mother had died in an accident and that he and his brother were being sent to live with his great-aunt, Kaede. Kagome had held him and let him cry on her shoulder.

After that, the dreams happened on a pretty regular basis. Inuyasha had helped her through her first crush when she was in Jr. High, and the following year, she helped him through his first broken heart.

Kagome wondered sometimes if it was only her imagination that fed the dreams. She even said as much to Inuyasha one night. His eyes looked so hurt when she said that. He told her that the dreams were their own form of truth; that he was there for her as he had promised that day long ago. Kagome decided just to accept the dreams for what they were, and if they gave her some good advice, all the better.

Kagome slowly got out of bed and looked for her clothes. She found her clean uniform and went to grab her shower before school started. Getting out and dressed, she hurried through her toiletry and raced downstairs. Kagome grabbed a slice of toast and yelled to her mom and grandpa as she ran out the door, "I'm off! See you later!"

"Bye Kagome! Have a good day, dear!"

Running down the steps in front of the shrine, Kagome managed to catch the bus to school. She saw her friend Sango near the back and made her way back to sit next to her.

Sango had been friends with Kagome ever since she had moved into the shrine. They often dressed alike and wore their hair the same way. Today, Sango's dark brown hair was up in a ponytail.

"Hey, Kagome! How are you this morning?"

"Hey, Sango, doing okay I guess." Sango looked at her friend. Kagome had a puzzled look on her face and seemed to be distracted.

"Okay, Kagome, spill it! What is the matter?"

"Nothing." Sango glared at her. "Okay, fine. I had another dream last night."

Sango raised her eyebrow. She knew about the dreams her friend had about a certain silver haired boy. "So why the confused look?"

"You know how Hojo keeps bugging me to go out with him, right?" Sango nodded. "Well, last night I told Inuyasha about it and he told me to tell Hojo that I already had a boyfriend and then he kissed me."

Sango looked at Kagome in surprise. The raven-haired girl was blushing furiously. "What do you mean, _he kissed you_?"

"I mean, he leaned over and brushed his lips on mine, and then my alarm went off."

"Oh man! What are you going to do now?"

"I'm not sure, Sango. I mean other than the dreams, I haven't seen or heard from Inuyasha since I moved away. I am not even sure that they are not figments of my imagination."

The two girls got off the bus when it reached the school and they made their way to their lockers. "We'll talk to Miroku at lunch and see what he has to say. He may know if the dreams are real or not, after all, he comes from a family of monks."

Kagome nodded. "Okay, I'll meet you guys at our normal spot outside. Bye Sango! See you later." The two girls split and made it to class just as the bell rang.

* * *

TBC 


	3. Revelations

Chapter 3: Revelations

* * *

Lunch could not come fast enough as far as Kagome was concerned. When the bell finally rang, she made her way past her locker to drop off her books and then headed to the lunchroom. Deciding she wasn't that hungry, Kagome grabbed a small salad and a bottle of water and went out to find her friends.

Miroku and Sango were sitting under the large willow where they normally ate lunch when the weather was good. Miroku sported a nice red handprint on the side of his face, while Sango's face was a matching red.

Kagome laughed as she joined her friends. "Starting already, Miroku?"

"Yeah, well, umm, I just can't resist a thing of beauty."

"You better start resisting, mister, or I won't be able to resist sending you to the hospital."

"I hear that you are having some strange dreams, Kagome." The 18 year-old decided he'd better change the subject. Kagome and Sango had known him for the past 4 years after he moved in down the street from Sango. Miroku had a crush on Sango, and Kagome believed that Sango had a crush on Miroku.

Kagome looked at Sango who shrugged her shoulders. Kagome had never told Miroku about the dreams, but she had told him about Inuyasha. For some reason, she felt that the dreams were too personal to share with another guy, even if he was her friend.

"Um, yeah. Did Sango tell you about them?" Miroku nodded.

"Dreams are the subconscious's way of reviewing and dealing with day-to-day events and stresses. The fact the dreams are always about the same person could be because you see him as a 'safe' outlet. When you dream of Inuyasha, do you see yourselves as young children or as the age you currently are?"

"In my dreams, we are always the same age we would normally be. Last night, I was still 17 and he was 19. I remember a period of time where he had really short hair (A/N: can you see Inuyasha with a buzz cut?), but now he has let it grow long."

"Hmmm. That sounds more like a soul connection then."

Both girls looked at Miroku. "A soul connection? What is that?" asked Sango.

"A soul connection occurs very rarely and only between soul mates. I have never heard of one occurring between such young children as you and Inuyasha were when the dreams started. It usually takes a minor spell set by a priestess to establish the initial connection, but afterwards, it is maintained through the soul bond."

"What does that mean exactly?" Kagome was getting frustrated. "Are my dreams real, does this mean that Inuyasha and I have really been talking to each other all this time?" 'Does this mean that last night…?'

"Oh, it is very real. You and Inuyasha have been 'meeting together', for lack of a better term, when you dream. He dreams the same dreams you do. Anything you told him there, he knows, and the things that he tells you are most definitely real."

Kagome blushed and looked away. 'Then what did that kiss mean, or did it mean anything at all?' She was deep in thought and Sango looked at her in sympathy. Miroku was content to finish his lunch and Kagome's, which sat forgotten.

"Hello, Kagome. How are you today?" Kagome jumped when the voice addressed her.

"Hojo, how nice to see you. I am doing well. What can I do for you?"

The young man seemed nervous and blushed slightly. "I was wondering if you would like to go to the Senior Prom with me next week."

"I'm sorry Hojo, but I already have a boyfriend, and I don't think that he'd appreciate me going out with any other guy.'

"A boyfriend? Is it anyone I know? I have never seen you with anyone…"

"No Hojo, my boyfriend lives a long ways away. I usually see him every few weeks or so. Thank-you though for the invitation. I don't think that you'd have much trouble finding your perfect girl."

"Thank-you Kagome. I apologize for being a nuisance. If you ever break up, please keep me in mind." With that, the young man turned away and went into the school building. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief.

Miroku and Sango were trying hard not to laugh. "Poor Hojo, you broke his heart. He is just crushed!" Kagome glared at her friends.

"It is not like I haven't been telling him no all along. He just could not seem to understand that I am not interested in him."

"I understand, Kagome, but us guys are somewhat dense when it comes to the fairer sex."

"Hentai!" Sango slapped him as he groped her during his little speech.

Kagome laughed. She felt a lot better now; it wasn't easy to let Hojo down and she was glad it was over.

"By boyfriend, I assume you mean Inuyasha?" asked Miroku after everyone calmed down.

"Yeah. It was his idea last night. He had been getting frustrated with the way that Hojo kept hanging around."

"So, are you and Inuyasha going to be boyfriend/girlfriend then, Kagome?" asked Sango.

"I don't know. I need to do some serious thinking and talk to Inuyasha."

"Makes sense. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help." Sango reached over and hugged Kagome. "Don't even think of it Miroku!" she snarled.

"I wouldn't do something like that my dear Sango." The two girls just snorted in disbelief. "Keep me posted, Kagome. I'll also ask my uncle if he knows anymore about soul connections."

"Thanks guys. Well I got to run. I have Chemistry next and I am not even ready for the lab."

Kagome got up and headed inside. Sango looked at Miroku who watched their friend enter the building.

"What's wrong?"

"A soul connection is not an easy thing to have; there are often consequences that may arise."

"What kind of consequences?" Sango was getting worried for her friend.

"I don't want to say anything more until I can verify with my uncle. I may be wrong." 'I hope I am wrong' Miroku got up and gave Sango a hand up. Throwing away their lunch trash, the two headed off to class.

* * *

TBC 


	4. Inuyasha

Chapter 4: Inuyasha

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?" Inuyasha looked at Koga in surprise.

"What do you mean by that?"

"How could you tell her that you were her boyfriend and then go and kiss her? After all, you haven't told her about the soul connection yet and what it means, have you?" Inuyasha shook his head.

"You told me that she believes that you are nothing more than a dream, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So dumb ass, now Kagome is probably thinking that her dreams have gotten a lot weirder. She may even wonder if she is insane. How do you even know that she is still interested in you, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was quiet for a while as he drove down the road towards the store where he and Koga worked. "I just know, Koga. I mean if she wasn't at least interested in even friendship, the connection would have faded long ago. The fact that it still exists tells me that she is still my friend. I think that I was trying to tell her that I wanted to take the friendship to a deeper level (A/N: A guy wanting to make the first move in a relationship, wow! ;-P). I feel that it is time to acknowledge the fact that we are soul mates."

"Well then, you had better explain things to Kagome soon."

Inuyasha sighed. He wasn't sure how to explain the whole thing to her, much less how she would react. "Okay, I'll tell her the next time we 'connect'."

Koga looked over at his friend and gave a small grin. He had known Inuyasha for a long time; first as friends, then as rivals, and now as friends again. He had found out about Kagome and the soul connection a few years ago after the mess with Kikyo. Kikyo was the main reason that he and Inuyasha had been rivals in the first place. Koga shook his head.

Inuyasha pulled into an employee parking spot and turned off the engine. The two got out of the car and started to make their way into the store.

"You know, Yash, you have some vacation time coming up. Why don't you go and see Kagome and tell her in person."

The silver-haired boy looked thoughtful. "That may be a very good idea. I'll talk to Toshi (his manager) and request some time and iron out the details with Kaede tonight. Thanks Koga!" Inuyasha was getting excited just thinking about seeing Kagome in person again.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Koga punched Inuyasha on the arm as they headed in to start their shifts.

* * *

_Later that night_

"Hey, Kaede! Where are you at?" A loud voice echoed through the house.

"I'm in the den, Inuyasha. Stop your yelling."

Inuyasha entered the den where his great-aunt was reading old manuscripts that lay scattered across her desk. She looked up and smiled fondly at the young man she had raised for the last 10 years as he flopped onto the couch.

"What can I do for you, Inuyasha?"

"I've decided that I am going to go see Kagome next week. I've already told Toshi down at the store." Kaede looked at him in surprise.

"It has been 11 years, Inuyasha, since you have seen her in person. How will you explain your absence to her? And why are you going now?"

Inuyasha suddenly found the floor more interesting than the old woman in front of him. "Well, I figure that I need to see her in person and tell her about the soul connection," he mumbled.

"Inuyasha! Are you telling me that you haven't explained it to her yet? I thought that you agreed to tell her right from the start; that was the only reason I was willing to establish it between you two in the first place!" Kaede looked very upset as she came around her desk and sat beside Inuyasha.

"Umm, well, I didn't have a chance at first and then it never seemed to come up. Anyway, I want to tell her now in person. So it's not a big deal."

"Inuyasha, it is a big deal! You have kept this from Kagome for the past 10 years. You have taken a great risk in not telling her about the soul connection. She may not be able to forgive you for keeping this from her."

Inuyasha looked at his aunt with concern. "You don't think that she'd….Oh shit!"

Kaede nodded her head. "You definitely need to tell her in person. I will pray that she is willing to forgive you quickly, for both your sakes. If not, well…you know the consequences."

Inuyasha hung his head. 'Why didn't I tell her? Oh God, I hope that she will be as forgiving with me as she is of everyone else.' He felt Kaede put her arms around his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him.

"I have Kagome's address if you would like it, Inuyasha. I think that you need to leave as soon as possible."

"I'll leave in the morning. I don't have to work tomorrow, and I think that Koga would be willing to cover for me on Saturday. I'd better go call him."

Inuyasha slowly got to his feet and left the room. Kaede shook her head sadly. "I pray that your silence has not destroyed you both," she said softly.

* * *

A/N: Thank-you for the wonderful reviews. It makes me very happy when I know that people are enjoying my story. Please continue to read and review.

I just wanted to apologize to those reading on MM. It won't load the format correctly for some reason. I may try to delete the story and then reload. Please be patient with me. Thanks!


	5. Reunited

Chapter 5: Reunited

* * *

Inuyasha pulled up to the shrine early in the afternoon. He sat in his car, just staring at the place where he would soon see Kagome again. Building his courage, Inuyasha got out of his car and went up to the door. He knocked and then waited nervously for someone to answer it.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" Kagome's mother stood in the doorway, drying her hands on a towel. She looked very much as Inuyasha remembered. He was unable to say anything to her due to the nerves, but he gave her a small smile.

She looked at the young man in front of her and began to smile as she recognized him. "Inuyasha, is that you? My, you have grown! Please come in. I know that Kagome will be excited to see you again. She should be home shortly."

Inuyasha found himself engulfed in a hug and then being led into the kitchen. Seating himself at the table, Kagome's mother brought out a couple of sodas. She handed one to him, keeping the other for herself.

"Are you hungry? Can I fix you something to eat?"

"No thank-you. The soda's just fine."

Mrs. Higurashi sat herself across from Inuyasha and studied him closely. "How have you been? We haven't heard much from you these past years."

"I am doing well. Mom died a little less than a year after you guys moved. My mother's aunt, Kaede took my brother and me in. I graduated last year, and I am taking a year or so off before college."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "I had heard about the accident. I was sorry to hear that. Kagome will graduate in a few weeks and plans on going to college in the fall." She jumped up and clapped her hands in delight. "Maybe you two will go to the same college!"

Inuyasha only smiled and nodded his head. He found that he couldn't sit still in the chair and kept fidgeting. Deciding that maybe walking around would help calm the butterflies that seemed to have taken residence in his stomach; Inuyasha asked if he could explore the shrine. The friendly woman assured him that he could go where ever he pleased.

"Kagome will be home shortly, and I will send her out to you if you haven't already met up." Inuyasha thanked her and went outside.

He wandered the shrine grounds and popped into the gift shop. Inuyasha was almost immediately cornered by an old man, probably Kagome's grandfather, who was trying to tell him the history of an old, rusted sword hanging on the wall. Making his escape, Inuyasha found himself drawn to the 1000 year-old God Tree.

He found a bench beneath its branches and sat with a sigh. Inuyasha could almost swear that there was a calming aura coming from the tree. Settling himself more comfortably, he turned his thoughts towards his rapidly approaching meeting with Kagome.

* * *

Finally! School was out for the weekend. Kagome quickly grabbed her stuff from her locker and hurried out of the building. She really did not want to run into Sango or Miroku, as she was still trying to sort through what she had learned from them. Kagome decided to walk home and use the time to think things through.

'What does this soul connection thing between Inuyasha and I mean? Is he aware of it?' She sighed. Kagome really wanted a chance to talk with him, but she had never been able to initiate the dreams.

'What would I say to him when I do see him next? I guess that I need to ask the following things: A) Did Inuyasha know about the soul connection? If so, why didn't he tell me? B) What does it exactly mean for us? And last, but not least, C) What did that kiss mean?'

Kagome shook her head and laughed softly at herself. 'I guess that covers everything on my list. I feel a little better prepared for the next time I see him. I can hardly wait.'

Deep in thought, Kagome didn't realize that she was almost home until she started up the stairs to the shrine. She paused when she made it to the top to catch her breath, and took a quick look around to see if there were any tourists visiting the shrine that afternoon. She saw a young couple leaving the gift shop with their purchases, and one or two more wandering around the various buildings.

Heading towards the house, Kagome caught a glimpse of silver near the God Tree. She stopped as she took a closer look. It was an oddly familiar young man with silver hair. Kagome found that she couldn't seem to take a proper breath.

"Inuyasha?" The young man lifted his head and quickly stood.

"Kagome." The two stood staring at each other, totally oblivious to the rest of the world around them. They may have stayed that way for days, but the spell was broken when a soccer ball came flying across the courtyard. Inuyasha caught the ball easily and handed it back to the boy who stood looking at him in awe.

"Hey, nice catch! My name is Sota."

Inuyasha smiled and said "My name is Inuyasha. Nice to meet you."

"Sota, go tell mom that I am home and that I am talking to Inuyasha, if she needs me."

"Okay sis. Nice to meet you Inuyasha. I hope to see you again sometime." With a smile and a wave, Sota ran into the house, leaving the two of them to talk.

"You remember my brother, Sota, don't you?" Kagome asked as she walked over to Inuyasha.

"Yeah, he sure has grown though. He was only a baby the last time I saw him." Inuyasha looked at the girl standing in front of him. Her large, expressive eyes held tears in the corners. One tear slowly made its way down her cheek. He put his hand gently to her face and wiped the tear with his thumb. He tried to clear his now dry throat, "Kagome, I…" Inuyasha was interrupted when she threw herself in to his arms.

"Oh Inuyasha, I am so glad you are here! It has been so long. I have missed you!" Kagome started to cry into his shoulder. Inuyasha held her tightly and allowed her to cry. When he felt her calming down, Inuyasha led her to the bench. Holding her hand in his, he sat beside her and said, "Kagome, we need to talk."

* * *

TBC 


	6. Explanations

Chapter 6: Explanations

* * *

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, still in shock that he was actually sitting beside her.

"Talk about what?" She had needed to talk to him, but the fact that he made the trip to see her, she figured that he needed to go first.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome and saw that she was waiting for him to begin. He took a deep breath, trying to decide where to start.

"You know those dreams you've been having of me on the hill where we talk about stuff? Well, I have them too, because, you and me, we have a soul connection."

Inuyasha was surprised when Kagome nodded in understanding.

"Miroku told me the other day."

"How did he know about them? There aren't that many who have ever heard of soul connections."

"He comes from a long line of monks, and well, after the last 'dream' I asked him about them." Inuyasha looked away and digested this for a moment before picking up the tale.

"Well, after you left, Kaede, my great-aunt came and visited my mother. She is a well-known priestess back home. Anyway, she saw something in my aura that surprised her. She said that I had found my soul mate, but had lost her. I thought that she was just a crazy old lady, but she kept bugging me, so I finally told her about you. When I did, Kaede just nodded in that creepy, mysterious way that old people have.

It was not long afterwards that the accident occurred and mom was killed. Sesshomaru and I moved in with Kaede. Sess seemed to be pretty much unaffected, after all, she was only his step-mother, but I was really a mess. I wasn't eating or sleeping, and would barely respond to people around me.

Kaede was getting concerned. Finally, she came to me a couple of evenings later and told me that she could make it so I could see you again in our dreams. She made me promise to tell you about it as soon as possible. I agreed and she cast the spell that night."

"That was when you came and told me that your mother had died, wasn't it?" Inuyasha nodded.

"Once I was able to 'see' you again, I returned to normal. I had meant to tell you about the soul connection, but I would always forget, or it never seemed the right time to tell you. I am sorry, Kagome."

Inuyasha refused to meet her eyes. Kagome laid her head on his shoulder and said, "Its okay, Inuyasha. I understand. But that doesn't matter now. I'm just glad to know that I wasn't going crazy."

He looked down at the beautiful girl leaning on him and kissed the top of her head. Inuyasha only hoped that she would still be as understanding when he told her the rest of it.

"There is more you need to know about the soul connection, Kagome."

"What's that?"

"By not telling you about it, I have stolen away any choice you had about breaking it." Kagome gave him a questioning look.

"The way the soul connection works is that once it is cast, if either of the soul mates wishes it to be broken for any reason, it simply vanishes; but only for the first 10 years. After that, there are consequences."

Kagome sat up and looked at him. "What kind of consequences?"

Inuyasha took a quick look at her before turning his gaze back to the tree. He took a deep breath and continued.

"After the 10 year anniversary of the initial connection, it becomes permanent. If either person causes physical, emotional, or mental pain to the other, or if they deny the connection, both will suffer pain that will gradually grow to the point that it can cause death."

"When is the anniversary, Inuyasha?" she asked quietly.

"It was this past Monday." Inuyasha gave Kagome a worried look. "I'm very sorry, Kagome! Please forgive me!" She didn't answer as she stood and walked up to the God Tree. Placing her hand on the trunk, Kagome was silent for a long while. Inuyasha watched her nervously.

"So there's nothing I can do to change it if I wanted to?" Inuyasha barely heard the question.

"I'm afraid not."

"Well then, I guess I won't worry about it." Kagome turned and gave him a small smile. Inuyasha let out the breath that he realized he had been holding. "Is there anything else that I need to know about this?"

Inuyasha nodded. "There are a couple more things. The first is that the soul connection will allow us to live as long as each other, but when one dies, the other will follow. The other is that we will be able to tell when the other is experiencing strong emotions, like happiness, fear, anger….lust, etc." Kagome blushed when he added the last one.

"I guess that won't be so bad." Inuyasha was very glad that she seemed to be taking this well. "I do have a question though, Inuyasha. What did the kiss that last night mean?"

"What would you like it to mean?" Kagome threw him a dark look. Inuyasha stood and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. "It means that I love you Kagome. I think that I always have."

Kagome reached up and brought his head down to hers, giving him a passionate kiss in return. "I love you too, Inuyasha," she murmured as he held her to his chest. The two were content to remain standing beneath the ancient tree, wrapped in each other's arms as dusk fell around them.

With a happy sigh, the woman turned from the door where she had observed the last few moments. She didn't want to disturb them, figuring they'd come in when they got hungry. 'It was about time that those two got together' she thought to herself. She went to call Sota and her father to dinner.

* * *

TBC

_A/N – the story is not done yet, so please continue to check for updates. _

_I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the great feed back that I have been getting. Please continue to review; it makes me very happy._


	7. Meeting of Friends

Chapter 7: Meeting of Friends

* * *

Inuyasha woke slowly, stretching as he recalled where he was. He smiled as he remembered the previous night. Kagome had forgiven him, and they had stayed up late just talking. Thankfully, her mother offered him the use of the spare room for the length of his stay.

Getting out of bed, Inuyasha made his way to the bathroom and took a quick shower. He dressed for the day, and running his fingers through his still damp hair, opened the door. He surprised Kagome, who had her hand raised to knock. Placing a quick kiss on her lips, he said "Good morning, beautiful!"

Kagome blushed and replied "Good morning to you too. Mom wanted me to let you know that breakfast is ready."

"Sounds good to me, lead the way."

The two teens walked into the kitchen where Mrs. Higurashi had just dished out a large bowl of scrambled eggs and ham. "Good morning! Help yourselves. Grandpa and Sota have already eaten and have left for the day." She smiled at them and asked as they were being seated, "What are your plans for today?"

"Well, Sango, Miroku, and I were going to the mall and then thought we'd catch a movie a bit later. I can call and see if they would mind if I brought Inuyasha along; that is if you would like to come of course."

"I would like that. Hell, I would like anything as long as I got to spend time with you." Kagome blushed (A/N: she seems to do that a lot) and turned away quickly. Silence fell over the kitchen as the two young people finished their breakfast.

"I'll go call Sango now. I'll be right back." Kagome got up and went to the living room to use the phone. Inuyasha started to clear the table and load the dishes into the sink. Kagome's mother watched him with a small smile.

"How long can you stay, Inuyasha?"

"I have this week off; I have to be back for work next Monday."

"That's wonderful! Kagome's senior prom is next Saturday, and she doesn't have a date yet."

Inuyasha smiled. "That is a great idea. I'll ask her."

Kagome came back into the kitchen. "Everything is set. We'll meet them at the food court at 12:30." Inuyasha noticed that it was only 8:45.

"What would you like to do until then?" he asked.

"I could show you around a bit if you like."

"Sounds good. I am ready when you are."

"Okay, let's go. We'll be home later this evening mom"

"Bye dears! Have fun!" Mrs. Higurashi watched as the young couple walked out the door. 'Ah, young love…'

Walking hand in hand down the stairs, Kagome lead Inuyasha down to the street. She was a good tour guide, pointing out items of interest and telling amusing stories about the places and people they saw. After a while, they found themselves in a small park. Finding an empty bench, Inuyasha sat down and Kagome reclined against his chest.

"Are you okay with everything that happened last night?" he asked her, running his fingers through her hair.

"Mmm hmm." Kagome gave him a bright smile. "I am so glad that you are here with me. How long can you stay?"

"I thought that I'd stay through next weekend. I would like to take you to your prom, if you would like to go out with me."

Kagome sat up quickly and turned to him. "Really? That would be wonderful!" Inuyasha leaned in and gave her a kiss. She found herself melting into his arms. She was so happy, she could hardly believe it.

Inuyasha found that he could feel the happiness resonate through their bond. He smiled at her as he brushed a stray hair from her face. "Your mom told me that the dance was next Saturday, since I am planning on still being around, I figured that I could take you. After all, I am your boyfriend."

Kagome smiled at him. "I like the sound of that… boyfriend. That means that I'm your girlfriend, right?" She had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Inuyasha smirked at her and replied, "Well, one of them at least." Kagome mock pouted and hit his arm. Laughing, Inuyasha gave her a kiss that erased any doubts she may have had about his intentions.

Settling back against Inuyasha, Kagome was quiet for a while. Inuyasha was content to stare at the beautiful girl in his arms. "Inuyasha, what are you going to do this week while I'm in school?"

"Well, I will probably offer to help your mom and grandfather around the shrine. I will definitely be taking you to school and picking you up. I want all the time I can get with you." Kagome agreed happily.

"If we are going to meet your friends, we should probably get going."

Kagome helped the young man to his feet. Reaching up, she gave him a quick kiss. "I love you, 'Yasha."

"I love you too, 'Gome."

A short time later, the two found themselves at the crowded mall. Kagome was aware of the stares that she and Inuyasha received. She smiled to herself and held on to his arm in order to be a bit closer. Grinning down at her, Inuyasha snaked his arm around her waist. He felt like he was the luckiest guy around, and if the looks that he was getting, the others thought so as well.

Nearing the food court, Inuyasha allowed Kagome to take the lead to find her friends. She paused for a moment and listened.

"Watch the hand!"

"But my dear…"

SLAP!

Kagome giggled softly. "Miroku and Sango are already here. Hey guys!" She led Inuyasha over to her two friends. Inuyasha saw an angry girl about Kagome's age and a young man sporting a red handprint on his face. "This is Inuyasha; Inuyasha, this is Sango and Miroku, my best friends."

Sango looked at the young man she had heard so much about. She approved of the look of devotion that she saw in his eyes as he looked at her friend. She noticed that Kagome seemed to return the emotion as well. "Hey Kagome, I approve!" Inuyasha blushed faintly.

Miroku shook Inuyasha's hand. "Glad to finally meet you."

"You're the one that told Kagome about the soul connection, right?" Miroku nodded. "Thanks. I was going to tell her, but you beat me to it."

"No problem. Hey, I have some embarrassing stories that I bet Kagome hasn't told you."

"Miroku, you wouldn't dare!" Kagome stared at him, mortified.

"Sure I would! Just watch." Grabbing Inuyasha by the shoulder, he led the way down the mall. "Two years ago, Kagome got detention for..." Embarrassed, Kagome and Sango followed the boys.

"He is sooo cute! I may be jealous! So spill it! I want to know everything!"

Kagome blushed and then told her friend about Inuyasha showing up at the shrine the day before and about their conversation. She didn't say anything about the consequences though. "What did he say about the kiss?"

Kagome turned a bright red. Up ahead, Inuyasha paused in what he was telling Miroku and looked back at her, smiled and gave her a wink before turning back to what he had been saying. 'Oh no! He must have felt that through the connection…' "I'll tell you later." Sango looked at her friend. She had caught the look that Inuyasha a passed to Kagome; now she was really curious.

"I'll hold you to that."

The group of teens made it to the theater and got in line for their tickets. Kagome stood with her back pressed against Inuyasha's chest, his arms wrapped around her, and her arms over his. Sango sighed. "They make a really cute couple, don't they Miroku?" Miroku nodded.

They weren't the only ones to notice the couple. He was not pleased with what he saw. "She's mine! I will not allow anyone to take her from me!" He hissed softly as he turned away in disgust. "Kagome, you're mine!"

* * *

TBC

_Evil cliffy!_


	8. Nerves

Chapter 8: Nerves

* * *

The week went by too quickly for the two teens. Kagome and Inuyasha spent practically every moment that she wasn't in school together. Earlier that week, Kagome and Sango had gone with the guys to pick out dresses and tuxes for the upcoming prom. Of course, the girls would not show their dresses to the guys, wanting them to be a surprise.

Kagome had never been happier than she was that week. The only thing to cast a shadow on her happiness was the note she found in her locker on Thursday.

Flashback

_ Kagome put away her books and grabbed her bag before turning to meet Inuyasha out front. A note fluttered to the floor, and she bent down and picked it up._

**DO NOT GO OUT WITH INUYASHA! YOU ARE MINE! THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING!**

_ Sango had noticed Kagome's face go pale; walking over, she put her hand on the frightened girl's shoulder. "What's wrong Kagome?" Not saying a word, she handed the note to Sango who read it quickly. She looked at Kagome in concern. "You need to tell Inuyasha."_

"_Tell me what? Are you okay Kagome?" Inuyasha had felt her fear through the connection and came to find her. Kagome hid her face in his shirt as Sango handed him the note. _

_ Growling softly as he read it, he asked "any ideas who it may be from?" Both girls shook their heads. "Don't let it bother you too much. Just be careful and I will take care of things. After all, I am always here for you."_

End of Flashback

The day of the prom arrived. Sango came over to get ready with Kagome. Poor Inuyasha was sent to Miroku's so that he wouldn't see Kagome until it was time to go.

Inuyasha didn't really mind too much. He had found that he had quite a bit in common with Miroku over the past week and counted him as a friend. Besides, Inuyasha hoped that Miroku would help keep him from getting too nervous.

"So, you really are going to ask her tonight?"

"Yeah. Her mom already gave me her blessing. I'm going to ask her tonight at dinner. I just hope I don't screw this up too badly." Inuyasha ran his hand through his hair in a nervous manner.

Miroku watched his friend in amusement as he paced. "I wouldn't worry about it. I've seen how Kagome looks at you. I just wish Sango would look at me that way." Inuyasha gave him a nervous smile but didn't say anything.

Finally giving a big sigh, Inuyasha picked up the basketball that was sitting in the corner of the room. "Let's go play some one-on-one. If I don't do something, Kagome will know that something is up."

Laughing, Miroku followed him out the door. "Okay, but I'll cream your butt!" "Not likely!"

* * *

Both Kagome and Sango were wrapped in robes, drying their hair.

"How should I wear my hair tonight, Kagome?" Sango stood in front of the mirror, twisting her hands through her thick mane.

"Let me do it for you Sango" Kagome offered. Grabbing a chair, Sango sat and allowed her friend to work her magic.

A short time later, Kagome was finished. Sango looked in the mirror and gasped in surprise. "Wow! I love it! Thank-you!" Kagome had gathered the other girl's hair in an elaborate updo with a few wisps hanging beside her face. Kagome smiled and finished placing rhinestone bobby pins in to help catch the light.

"How are you going to wear yours?"

"I'll show you." Kagome quickly took half of her hair and placed it in a simple updo and allowed the rest to hang loosely upon her back. Sango helped her curl the loose parts so they made soft ringlets. Kagome then took a couple of the white roses that Inuyasha had given her that morning and tucked them into her hair. The overall effect was very elegant.

Putting on their makeup, Sango asked "are you excited about tonight?"

Kagome nodded as she blended her eye shadow. "Yeah, but I am a little nervous too. I think Inuyasha is as well. I am getting the feeling from the connection we share." Sango smiled at her.

"I don't think that you have anything to worry about. Everyone can see how much he dotes on you, and the fact that you feel the same way about him." Kagome blushed but did nothing to deny the charges.

* * *

Inuyasha and Miroku pulled up to the shrine in their separate cars. Miroku was taking Sango to her favorite steak house, whereas Inuyasha was taking Kagome to a seafood restaurant. The couples were going to meet up later at the dance.

Both boys looked quite sharp as they walked up to knock on the door. Mrs. Higurashi opened the door and immediately took a picture of the two startled men. "Gotta have pictures you know!" she said laughingly as she led them to the living room to await the arrival of their dates.

Sango was the first one down the stairs. Miroku was left gasping in awe as he caught sight of his date. She was dressed in a spaghetti strapped dress of a deep burgundy color. Trailing down the side were flowers in a paler burgundy with small rhinestones as their centers. Sango walked shyly over to Miroku and looked at him with approval.

"Sango, my dear, words cannot express your beauty! I must have died and gone to the heavens." She blushed and allowed him to take her arm and place it in his.

Inuyasha smiled to himself at the sight of the two, but quickly turned his focus towards the stairs in anticipation of his angel arriving. Almost on cue, Kagome made her way down the stairs. Her dress was a strapless, midnight blue. A blue so dark that it almost appeared black. It clung to her chest and fell softly from her hips. She had pinned a few of the white roses to the dress and held one for Inuyasha to use as a boutonniere. Inuyasha felt a sense of awe and pride as she came to stand and put the rose in his lapel. He bent down and gave her an appreciative kiss. "You are beyond beautiful, my angel."

Kagome's mother took pictures of everyone as they prepared to head to dinner. "Bye everyone! Have a great time tonight!" she called out as they made their way to the cars.

At the restaurant, Inuyasha held Kagome's hand. She looked at him and noticed that he seemed very nervous. After placing their orders for dinner, he stood up and got down on one knee in front of her. Kagome looked at him with confusion. "Kagome, you know that I have loved you for a long time now. I told you that I would always be there for you. Well, I want you to always be there for me as well." Kagome's eyes started to tear as the realization of what was happening occurred. "Kagome, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Inuyasha pulled out the ring from his pocket and slipped it onto her finger.

Kagome threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed him, tears running down her cheeks. "Yes! I will marry you, Inuyasha!" He stood and picked her up, kissing her deeply. When the two broke for air, they could hear the applause of the other dinner patrons. Blushing, the two quickly sat back down at their table.

Kagome took a close look at the ring Inuyasha had given her. It had a marquee cut diamond with a small blue diamond to one side. Kagome looked across at her fiancée and smiled. "It was my mother's engagement ring," he explained.

"I love it! Thank-you Inuyasha!" The two lost themselves in each others' eyes, hardly noticing when their meal arrived.

"I love you, my angel, my Kagome."

"I love you, my beloved, my Inuyasha."

* * *

TBC 


	9. Prom

Chapter 9: Prom

* * *

Inuyasha pulled into a parking space at the hotel where the prom was taking place. Stepping around to the passenger side, he opened the door and helped Kagome from the car. With a dazzling smile, she took his arm and allowed him to lead her inside. They managed to find Miroku and Sango just inside the door.

Miroku glanced at Kagome's hand and smiled. "Congratulations you two!" He shook Inuyasha's hand and went to hug Kagome. Inuyasha growled as Miroku's hands started to wander. Kagome laughed and stepped away.

Sango looked at the three in confusion. All of a sudden, a sparkle caught her eye and she grabbed Kagome's hand and squealed in delight. "Is that what I think it is?"

Kagome nodded happily. "Yes. Inuyasha asked me tonight at dinner. We are engaged!" The two girls embraced, both of them with tears in their eyes.

Sango looked over at Inuyasha. "You better take care of my best friend, or I'll hunt you down!" He found himself gulping as he nodded in understanding. Miroku stood smirking (after all, he knew first hand how scary Sango could be). "Come on, Kagome! We need to go show it off!" The two young men watched as Sango dragged the laughing girl to the other side of the room.

Miroku tried to talk to Inuyasha, but his mind and eyes were on his fiancée. From time to time, Kagome's eyes would meet his and she would grace him with her heart-stopping smile. Finally realizing that Inuyasha wasn't listening to him, Miroku slugged him in the shoulder and chuckled. "Go get her and enjoy the evening." Giving his friend a grateful look, Inuyasha made his way over to the small crowd surrounding his Kagome.

"Excuse me, may I have this dance?" Kagome smiled and nodded her head. Inuyasha drew her out to the dance floor; the DJ was just starting a slow song. Tucking her petite body tightly against his, Inuyasha allowed himself to relax and truly realize that Kagome was really his.

Everyone who saw the happy couple commented how good they looked together. Most were happy for the newly engaged couple; quite a few were envious; but one was furious.

He had been among the group that had surrounded Kagome as she told about Inuyasha's proposal. He saw the ring that seemed to mock him. He saw the looks that passed across the room between the two. When Inuyasha led Kagome away to dance, he couldn't watch any longer.

"I told you that you were mine! But you didn't listen. Now I will have to take you and **make** you mine!" He made his way to a table where he could keep an eye on the two, waiting for a chance to get Kagome alone and then make his move.

Oblivious to the hostile watcher amongst the crowd, Inuyasha and Kagome enjoyed each other's company all evening. Many of Kagome's classmates came up asking to dance with either Inuyasha or herself, but Inuyasha was being possessive; only allowing her to dance one song with Miroku ( with a death threat looming over him if his hands should wander) while he danced with Sango.

The watcher growled softly to himself. That bastard, Inuyasha, hadn't left Kagome's side all evening. He had even tried to ask her to dance, only to be turned away. Even when she went to the restroom, her friend Sango had stayed close to her side. Getting frustrated, he decided to take a different approach. Standing, the watcher made his way outto the parking lot.

* * *

The night had flown past; the prom was winding down. People started to head out, either going home or to other parties around town. Miroku and Sango had already taken their leave promising to call the next afternoon.

"Are you ready, my angel?" Inuyasha asked as he gently kissed her forehead.

Kagome nodded her head. "As much as I don't want this night to end, I am exhausted." Inuyasha chuckled softly and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to him as they walked out to his car.

"We'll have every night of our future together. This is only the beginning." Kagome slid into the passenger seat and waited for Inuyasha to get in. She leaned over and gave him a kiss as he started the car.

"Thank-you."

"What for?"

"Thank-you for coming down to see me; thank-you for the soul connection; thank-you for being friends with Miroku and Sango; thank-you for taking me to dinner and prom tonight; thank-you for asking me to marry you. But most of all, thank-you for always being there for me."

Inuyasha put his arm around her shoulder and gave it a tender squeeze. "You're more than welcome, my Kagome."

Inuyasha turned his focus onto the road in front of him. As the car neared the shrine, Inuyasha caught a glimpse of a car coming towards them, swerving into his lane. He put his foot to the brake pedal only to feel it go to the floor. "OH SHIT! Hang on Kagome!" Inuyasha tried to swerve out of the way, but the steering wasn't responding properly. The other car was racing towards them. Inuyasha tried to get the wheel to turn; the car responding sluggishly. He heard Kagome scream as the oncoming car swerved at the last minute and hit their vehicle a glancing blow, causing their car to flip over a couple of times before coming to rest on the roof.

"Kagome…." He whispered before succumbing to the beckoning darkness. White rose petals flecked with the crimson of blood lay scattered on the roof of the car.

* * *

TBC

_I am leaving you with another cliffy. Please review and let me know what you think. I would also like to know who you think the watcher is. Thanks to all who have reviewed to date, please continue to do so._


	10. At the Hospital

Chapter 10: At the Hospital

* * *

Swimming up through the darkness, Kagome opened her eyes. At first, the only thing she was aware of was the pain in her right leg. Slowly, her awareness expanded and she felt someone holding her hand. Kagome turned her head and saw her mother sitting beside her.

"Mom, what happened? Where am I? Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome moved to get out of bed, but was restrained by her mother's hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay now, Kagome. You are in the hospital. You and Inuyasha were in a car accident last night. You broke your leg and received a mild concussion, but you'll be able to go home today."

Kagome lay back down as she tried to process what her mother had told her. "That's right. There was a car swerving into our lane. Inuyasha tried to avoid it, but something was wrong. He told me to hang on. I remember screaming and hearing metal crunching, then nothing." Mrs. Higurashi nodded.

"The driver of the other car stopped and called the police. He was charged for drunk driving and vehicular assault."

Kagome looked at her mother. "Where's Inuyasha? Is he okay?" Mrs. Higurashi's face fell. Kagome felt her eyes fill with tears. "No, he can't be…he promised to always be there!" She shook her head in denial. Her mother quickly realized what her daughter meant and rushed to clarify. "He is still alive, Kagome. He is upstairs in the ICU. He broke several ribs and received a skull fracture. The doctors are monitoring him closely in casehis brain started to swell. They say that it is too early to tell if he'll be okay. We just need to think positively and pray."

Kagome broke down and sobbed into her mother's arms. Mrs. Higurashi just held her, stroking her hair, allowing her daughter to release her hurt and sorrow. After a while, Kagome's mom smiled at her as she cupped her face with her hands and wiped away the last few tears. "I noticed that you have a new ring. I take it that I will soon have a son-in-law?"

Kagome gave her a weak smile and nodded. She told her mom about the previous evening; about how happy they had been. By the end of the tale, Kagome was smiling, but sadness still lurked in her eyes.

"Well good morning Miss Higurashi. How are you feeling today?" An elderly doctor entered the room with a friendly grin. "My name is Dr. Chen. I am glad to see you awake."

"Good morning Dr. Chen. I am doing okay considering the circumstances. My leg hurts and I have a slight headache. When can I go see my fiancée?"

"Well, let's check you over and I will try to get you released by lunch time. You'll be able to see him then. Don't worry; we'll keep you informed of any changes in his condition. We did get a hold of his aunt and she should be here today." Dr. Chen was checking Kagome over while he told her this. "Well, everything checks out okay. You will need to use crutches for a few months, of course. Now if you have any dizziness, fainting or if your headaches get worse, you are to come back to the hospital immediately, understand?" Both of the women nodded. "Okay then, I'll go fill out the paper work and get you a prescription for pain. You can go ahead and get dressed. Take it slowly though, okay?" Kagome nodded and thanked the doctor who took his leave.

"Here you go dear. I brought you a change of clothes. Do you think you need any help?"

Kagome went to shake her head, but decided that she'd better not. "That would probably be best, thanks." Between the two, Kagome was soon dressed in a tee shirt and old pair of jeans with the leg split out to fit over the cast.

"Alright young lady, everything is set. Your mother can pick up the crutches before you leave." Dr. Chen returned pushing a wheel chair. He handed Mrs. Higurashi the paperwork. "Now have a seat here in the chair and I'll take you up to see your young man." Easing herself into the wheelchair, Kagome and Dr. Chen went down to catch the elevator, her mother following behind.

Kagome was wheeled into Inuyasha's room. Tears came to her eyes as she saw him lying there. He was hooked up to a respirator, a heart monitor, and several IVs. She was pushed close to the bed where she was able to reach out and touch his face and hold his hand. She didn't notice when the others left the room, giving her some privacy.

Running her fingers down the side of his face, Kagome swallowed before speaking. "I'm here, Inuyasha. I'm okay. You need to focus on getting well. We have a wedding to plan you know." Tears fell silently as she continued to talk to him; searching for any sign of response from him.

The charge nurse came in and checked the readings on the machines, making some adjustments. Turning to leave, she put a gentle hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Don't give up hope. He's strong and won't give up easily. You need to make sure to take care of yourself, because he needs you to be strong for him, especially once he wakes up." Kagome gave the nurse a grateful smile and nodded her head.

A little time later, Kagome wheeled herself out of the room, promising Inuyasha that she'd be back soon. Her mother looked up. "Are you ready?" With a nod, Mrs. Higurashi pushed her daughter out to the car.

Once they got home, Kagome was made comfortable in the downstairs spare room; the one that Inuyasha had been using. Her mother wanted her nearby, but wanted to give her a bit more privacy than the couch would offer. Taking a deep breath of his lingering scent, Kagome fell fast asleep.

Dream

_Kagome was standing on the grassy hill; the same hill as it always was, but it was different. There was a thick fog surrounding everything. She couldn't see Inuyasha anywhere._

"_Inuyasha, are you here?" Kagome didn't hear any response. She started to walk, trying to find him. The fog swirled around her, now and then allowing her glimpses of something, but she never seemed to get near._

"_Inuyasha! Where are you?"_

"_K…Kagome?" Kagome's head turned when she heard a faint voice, unable to see through the fog._

End Dream

Kagome awoke later that afternoon, feeling a bit better, but still with the nagging headache. Out in the living room, she could hear voices. Grabbing the crutches, she went out to investigate. She made her way slowly down the hall to the living room. Miroku and Sango stood as they caught sight of their friend. Sango ran over and helped her to the couch.

"I'm so glad to see that you're okay, Kagome. When I called earlier and your grandfather told me about the accident, I freaked. I called Miroku and we went to the hospital. Evidently, we had just missed you, but we checked on Inuyasha." Sango had tears in her eyes as she hugged Kagome. Miroku gave her a comforting smile.

"We met with Inuyasha's aunt and his brother. Kaede seems very nice, but his brother is one cold fish." Miroku proceeded to do imitations of Sesshomaru that soon had both girls laughing.

"Would you like a ride back to the hospital to see Inuyasha this evening? Miroku and I were going to go back to check on him. We could take you if you'd like."

"That would be good. I would like to tell you guys about the dream I just had on the way over. I'll be back later, mom!" she called out as her friends helped her out to Miroku's car.

"Okay, but be careful!" Miroku gave Mrs. Higurashi an acknowledging wave as he got in and drove off.

Kagome told her friends about the dream she had that afternoon. "It felt like our normal 'connection' dreams, but I couldn't find Inuyasha through the fog."

"That is only to be expected, Kagome. Between the trauma you two have gone through and the drugs that are going through Inuyasha's system, I am surprised that you even managed to connect at all, much less it being foggy. The fact that you heard his voice, though, is a very good sign, I would think."

"That does make sense, I guess. Thanks guys." Miroku pulled up and dropped the girls off in front of the doors. The two young women made their way up to Inuyasha's room while he parked the car. He managed to catch them as they waited for the elevator.

As the group neared the ICU waiting room, Sango pointed out Kaede and Sesshomaru. Kaede arose and walked over to them, looking Kagome over with a critical eye. Kagome was tempted to cringe under her fierce stare, but met her gaze confidently. Kaede smiled in approval. "You must be Kagome. I am Kaede, and that is Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's half-brother." She pointed to the young man who looked very similar to Inuyasha; it was easy to see the family resemblance. The silver-haired man gave Kagome a calculated look and nodded silently in greeting. Kagome found herself stifling a laugh as she was reminded of Miroku's imitations.

Sitting down, Kagome and Kaede began to get to know one another. As Kagome was telling her about last night, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. For a long moment, it was the only thing she was aware of. When the pain eased, she saw concern in the eyes of her friends as they gazed her. Their attention was drawn by a flurry of activity around Inuyasha's room; doctors and nurses rushing in and out, issuing orders. The group in the waiting room watched silently, hoping that everything was okay. Suddenly, Inuyasha was rushed down the hall and through doors marked **SURGERY**. A doctor came up to them, a concerned look in her eyes.

"Are you here for Inuyasha?" At their nods, she continued. "His blood pressure dropped suddenly, causing his heart to stop. We were able to get it started again and rushed him to surgery to find the cause. Please wait here and I will come and let you know how things turn out." Sesshomaru thanked the doctor who then left the waiting room and headed to surgery.

"What happened, child? Are you okay?" asked Kaede. Kagome looked at her, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Just now, I felt a sharp pain in my chest, like it wanted to beat, but couldn't. It happened about the same time as all that went on with Inuyasha. It has faded now. Could it have been part of our connection?"

Kaede and Miroku both nodded. "Inuyasha told you about the consequences of the permanent soul connection?" At Kagome's nod, the old priestess continued, "Remember that one of them is the fact that those so connected will not outlive each other. If Inuyasha were to die of his injuries, you will die as well." Kagome started to cry; Kaede wrapped her arms around the girl and tried to offer comfort. Sango turned and started to weep into Miroku's chest as he held her close, holding back his own tears. Sesshomaru watched them all in stony silence.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: This is the longest chapter yet. Hope you like it as well. I left you with another cliffy; I'm so mean! HaHaHaHa_

_Thanks to those that have reviewed my story. Please continue to read and review. Thanks!_


	11. Recovery

Chapter 11: Recovery

* * *

The waiting room was quiet; everyone had fallen asleep except Sesshomaru, who sat thinking. He stared at the young woman his brother had established the soul connection with. He almost felt sorry for her as he watched the pain she endured the two times his brother's heart had stopped. He shook his head. He still couldn't understand why anyone would willingly seek such a thing considering the consequences that accompanied it.

Sesshomaru was brought out of his musings when the doctor came out of the surgery ward. He shook Kaede's shoulder, who then woke Kagome, Sango and Miroku.

"How is my brother?" Sesshomaru asked as the doctor took a seat.

She smiled wearily at them. "He is doing well. We were able to repair his liver, which caused his internal bleeding. His blood pressure is close to normal and he'll be back in his room shortly. You'll be able to see him for a moment, but then you will need to go home and get some rest." The group breathed sighs of relief. Sesshomaru thanked the doctor who left them to await Inuyasha's return.

A short time later, Inuyasha was resettled in his room. Everyone filed in to tell him that they'd be back in the morning. Kagome leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"I'll be back a bit later. You just need to get well, okay?" she whispered tenderly. The group made their way out into the early morning air, planning on getting some much needed sleep.

* * *

_A few days later_

"Hey, how's he doing?" Kagome looked up and smiled. Sango and Miroku stopped by every afternoon once school let out, bringing Kagome her homework so she could stay with Inuyasha.

"He's doing well. The doctors think that he'll awake soon." Inuyasha was no longer hooked up to the respirator, and there was no sign of brain swelling. He had steadily improved after the surgery to repair his damaged liver.

Kagome sat beside his bed; her leg propped up while she talked to him and read to him from her textbooks. She put down the history text that she had been reading from, studying for her finals that were coming up quickly.

"Have you eaten anything since you have been here?" Miroku looked at his friend in concern. He knew that she had a habit of loosing track of time, and not eating until she went home.

Kagome nodded. "Kaede brought me lunch before she took Sesshomaru to the train station."

"HENTAI!" Sango whirled around and slapped Miroku, whose hand had "slipped" a bit too low.

"Ow, Sango my dear, it was an accident! I swear!"

"I'll show you an accident, you pervert! It's a good thing we're in a hospital 'cause you'll need one!" Sango hit Miroku again.

"Hey you guys, keep it down. Some of us are trying to sleep here." Kagome gasped and looked at Inuyasha, only to see his golden eyes staring at her.

"Inuyasha! You're awake!" Kagome hugged the young man, who smiled and hugged her back. "How are you feeling?"

"I have one hell of a headache, but for the most part, I am feeling okay. Are you alright, Kagome?"

Kagome squeezed his hand "Yeah. I broke my leg and got a mild concussion, but I am doing fine. Her eyes filled with tears. "We almost lost you." She broke down and sobbed into his shoulder, while Inuyasha awkwardly patted her head. He looked questioningly at Sango and Miroku.

Miroku explained what had happened from the time that he and Kagome had been brought in, to his emergency surgery, to his awakening just now.

Inuyasha was quiet while he tried to come to grips with the fact that he had almost died twice, and the fact that Kagome felt it each time. He continued to soothe the girl next to him. "Thanks guys, for everything," he said quietly.

Sango leaned over and gave him a gentle hug. "What are friends for? Anyway, we'll leave you two alone for now. See you later, okay?"

Inuyasha nodded. "See you later." Sango grabbed Miroku and dragged him from the room.

Kagome wiped her eyes and sat up. "I'm sorry about that. I have been so worried about you. I thought I had lost you."

Inuyasha gripped her hand. "I promised that I'd always be here for you. I don't intend to break that promise." He pulled her down and gave her a kiss.

"Well, I see that you are awake again, Inuyasha." Kaede entered the room as the two teens pulled apart and blushed.

"Hey Kaede." Inuyasha tried to calm his blushing, still holding Kagome's hand.

"Everyone was worried about you. Even your brother, Sesshomaru was worried enough to come down with me. He had to return home this afternoon to prepare for an important meeting in the morning. Kagome, here, has been by your side everyday, even when she should be home or in school." Kaede smiled fondly at the young woman.

Inuyasha could hardly believe his ears. "Sesshomaru was here? No way! You have got to be kidding."

"No, he and Kaede were here the afternoon after the accident. It was your brother who insisted on having the car checked over by a mechanic. Inuyasha, the accident was not an accident. Some one had cut the brake line and poked holes in the power steering line."

Inuyasha sat up and looked at his aunt and Kagome in surprise. "What?" Kaede nodded.

"Someone tried to kill you and Kagome. The police are investigating the case as we speak."

Lying back down, Inuyasha thought hard about what he had just been told. "Kagome, did you tell them about the note you got last week?" She nodded.

"They asked if I knew who may have done this. I told them I didn't know and that I had thrown the note away that same day before we left the school. Sango mentioned that Hojo had asked me to the dance and that I had turned him down, so the police were going to question him."

"You two need to be careful. There is someone out there who will stop at nothing to get what he wants." Inuyasha nodded and held Kagome's hand a little tighter. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, trying to figure out how to keep her safe.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Several of you think that Hojo is the watcher and one thought that Koga was. I can tell you that it was not Koga, but I will not tell you anything more at this time. As always, please continue to enjoy and review. Thank-you!_


	12. Change

Chapter 12: Change

* * *

"Hey! I thought you were ready to leave this place!" Kagome came in, finding Inuyasha dozing on the bed. She hobbled over to him, trying to get used to the walking cast she was given earlier that day.

Leaping out of bed, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome for a quick hug and a kiss hello. "Hell yeah! Let's go!" Kagome giggled and reached down to grab his bag. He lightly slapped her hand away and snatched it up.

"Mom is out in the car waiting for us. Are you all signed out?" He nodded.

After spending 10 days in the hospital, Inuyasha was more than ready to leave it all behind. He allowed Kagome to go through the door and out into the hallway before putting his arm around her waist. The nurses smiled and gave their farewells to the cutest couple on the floor.

Down at the car, Inuyasha let Kagome sit up front, while he took the back seat. "Ready to go home, Inuyasha?" Mrs. Higurashi looked back at the young man. He nodded and the car pulled out, heading for the shrine.

_Home_

It had been decided that he'd stay here in town, close to Kagome. Between the threat of someone trying to kill them and his head injury, which wouldn't allow him to drive for a few weeks, Kaede and Kagome's mother felt it was for the best. Inuyasha wasn't about to complain.

Inuyasha would be staying at the shrine until fall quarter at the University, when he and Kagome would move to campus. Mrs. Higurashi made them promise to keep things clean between them while they were under her roof. Blushing furiously, both teens had promised to behave themselves.

Upon reaching the shrine, Inuyasha and Kagome went into the house. Turning suddenly, Kagome placed a kiss on his lips. "Welcome home, Inuyasha," she breathed.

_Home

* * *

_

"I can't believe graduation is tomorrow!" The speaker bounced on Kagome's bed in excitement. "Are you and Inuyasha coming to the party at the club?" Kagome smiled at Sango. She had been trying for the past week to get them to come to the post-graduation fling being held at the country club. Sango was going to go with Miroku and really didn't want to be alone with her pervert of a boyfriend all evening.

"Yeah, I finally convinced Inuyasha to come. He really didn't want us to go. You know that he still hasn't been cleared to drive, and that frustrates him. He is also concerned because the police haven't caught the guy who sabotaged his car."

Sango looked at her friend in concern. "Do they have any suspects yet?" Kagome shook her head.

"They questioned Hojo, but he had been out of town at his cousins' place. He has alibis and everything. The weird thing is that no one seemed to see anything strange going on in the parking lot that night."

"I'm sure that they'll find the creep soon," Sango said softly, putting a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"I don't know anymore, Sango." Kagome sighed and shifted positions on her bed. "I gave them the note I found Monday, but the fingerprints were not in the database."

The two women were silent for a moment. Shaking herself slightly, Sango changed the subject. "Miroku and I will pick you guys up at 6:00 tomorrow night. Don't forget to bring your stuff with you for afterwards." After the party, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome were going to spend the weekend at Sango's place.

"Alright. I'll make sure Inuyasha has his stuff ready as well."

"Sounds good. Well, I better head home. We need to be at the school by 12:30 tomorrow. See ya there!" Walking her friend to the door, Kagome waved as Sango headed home.

Deciding to take advantage of the beautiful evening, Kagome took a seat on the bench beneath the God Tree. 'Wow, graduation is tomorrow. I can hardly believe it. It seems just yesterday that I was starting primary school; high school seemed so far away, I thought I would never finish. It is not like I am done with school though. In the fall, Inuyasha and I will enter the University. I am frightened though. This signifies a huge change in my life. Inuyasha and I could marry any time now, even though we decided to wait until we were through with college.' Kagome was lost in her thoughts, not noticing she had company.

She jumped slightly as she felt someone put his arms around her. Turning a bit, she saw Inuyasha. "What's wrong, 'Gome?" he asked her quietly. Shifting her so they both were straddling the bench, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and held her pressed against his chest.

Kagome sighed and leaned her head back against him. "I was just thinking about tomorrow and our future. It scares me a little. Up to this point, I have been Kagome, student. I knew what was expected of me. Now that is changing."

"Well, you will still be a student for a few more years. I will be with you through it all. When we finish school, we'll marry and start that path together as well." Inuyasha trailed light kisses along the side of her neck. "Change is a scary thing, but you don't have to face it alone. Remember that I am here for you, my precious angel."

The two sat comfortably beneath the ancient tree and watched as the stars began to dot the sky.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: I hope I didn't lose anyone with this chapter. I had to get a few things done before the story could move on. The last part mirrored my own feelings as I graduated college. This is my only "self-insertion" that I knowingly put in my story._

_As always, enjoy and review. Thanks!_


	13. Graduation

Chapter 13: Graduation

* * *

The day started when Sota and Inuyasha came in early to wake Kagome. Leaping onto the bed, the two boys started tickling the now awake girl until she couldn't breathe. Once Kagome managed to push the two out her door, she gathered her things and headed to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

Heading down the stairs, Kagome saw Inuyasha and her family waiting for her in the living room. Sitting down next to Inuyasha on the couch, her family presented her with her graduation gifts. From Sota, she received $100 to use on "girly stuff". Her grandfather gave her a pale pink pearl strung with shell shards on a necklace; evidently it had been passed down for generations. Kagome's mother said that the next gift was actually from both her father and mother. Mr. Higurashi had opened a trust account when Kagome was born, and her mother had been adding to it ever since. The trust fund carried enough to cover her university education. Kagome went over and hugged her mother. "Thank-you mama"; 'Thank-you daddy'.

Inuyasha waited while Kagome opened each of her family's gifts before bringing out the one he held behind him. "This is from Kaede, Sesshomaru, and me." He handed her a small box and sat back with a smile. Kagome opened it; inside was a set of keys. She looked at Inuyasha in confusion.

He leaned over and kissed her inviting lips. "We got you a car for graduation. You won't be able to drive it for another month (A/N: When I broke my leg at 16, the doctor wouldn't let me drive until the cast came off), but it is yours. Go check it out."

With a squeal of delight, Kagome leapt up and raced outside. Sitting in the driveway was a navy blue convertible with tan interior. Kagome trailed her fingers lightly along the car. She was speechless. Running over to where Inuyasha stood watching, Kagome threw her arms around his neck and passionately kissed him, leaving both of them breathless.

"I don't know what to say, Inuyasha. Thanks don't seem to be enough."

Inuyasha smirked. "I think the kiss said it well enough, but I don't want you to 'thank' Sess that way." Kagome blushed and hit him in the arm.

* * *

Kagome fidgeted. She was getting tired of all the photos her mother was taking. All she wanted to do was get out of the graduation cap and gown and relax a bit. It has already been a long day. She sighed. At least she was now officially graduated. Now, if only her mother would stop with the pictures and take them home…..

Finally, Mrs. Higurashi had taken her fill of pictures; or rather she was out of film. Chasing everyone to the car, Kagome was finally able to relax, leaning her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. She must have dozed off a little, because the next thing she knew, Inuyasha was waking her with a kiss and telling her that they were home. Going up to her room, Kagome changed into a pale blue sundress and packed her bag for the weekend.

Inuyasha knocked on Kagome's open door. "Sango just called and said that they'd be here in a few minutes. You got everything?" Kagome nodded and handed Inuyasha her bag. He took it downstairs and placed it next to the door with his.

Coming down the stairs, Kagome found her grandpa and Sota watching TV. Her mother came out of the kitchen. "You have a wonderful weekend, you two. Remember to behave yourselves." Kagome rolled her eyes at her mother while Inuyasha chuckled. Out front a horn honked. Giving her mother a quick hug, Kagome and Inuyasha grabbed their stuff and went out to Miroku's car.

As the group of friends drove up to the country club, Inuyasha caught sight of a large bon fire. Kagome saw his look of confusion and took pity on him. "Every year, the seniors burn one of their school uniforms to signify the end of childhood and the emergence of adulthood. It is kind of a tradition here." (A/N: We did something like that when I was in school.)

"Ahh, I see. That makes sense in a way. Did you bring one with you?" Kagome nodded.

"Miroku and I have ours as well. I can hardly wait to get rid of it!" Everyone laughed at Sango's enthusiasm.

After parking the car, everyone got out; the three graduates grabbing their sacrifices and making their way to the fire. Inuyasha stood back out of the way and watched. Miroku, Sango, and Kagome threw their uniforms on the burning pile with a loud cheer. Other classmates were doing the same. They stood watching the clothing burn until only burning embers remained of their offerings and they made room for others. The three made their way to where Inuyasha stood observing the ritual. He noticed that Sango and Kagome were wiping away tears while Miroku had a suspicious glint in his eye. Slapping his hand on Miroku's shoulder, the two men followed their girls inside.

The ballroom was set up with a buffet and non-alcoholic bar. There was a dance floor up front where a live band was playing. Miroku took Sango off to the dance floor; Inuyasha and Kagome headed for the buffet.

Filling her plate with some cold cuts and fruit, Kagome heard a voice at her elbow. "Hey Kagome! Congratulations! Can you believe that we have finally graduated?"

Turning quickly, Kagome saw a young man with red hair and green eyes. "Hey Shippo! Thanks and congrats to you as well! I haven't seen you around that much lately, how have you been?" Inuyasha caught up to Kagome and looked at the guy who stood talking to his fiancée. "Shippo, I would like you to meet my fiancée, Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is Shippo, we were close friends in Jr. High, but we drifted apart." Inuyasha shook Shippo's hand. He found himself staring at the young man; something was not quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo found seats at one of the tables. The two classmates caught each other up to date. "I moved the year we started High School, but came back to finish my senior year here. Our schedules were different enough that I could only catch a glimpse of you across the halls," Shippo told Kagome.

Inuyasha found himself wanting to growl at Shippo. Kagome, feeling his unease, placed a hand on his arm, calming his somewhat.

"Well, good luck to you both! Enjoy the evening and I will see you later." Shippo stood and gave Kagome a quick kiss on her cheek, left the table.

"Inuyasha, what is wrong?" Kagome's voice caused Inuyasha to realize that he was growling out loud and that his fists were clenched.

"I am not sure, but there is something about him that I don't like. There is something odd about him. How come I don't remember him from the connection?"

Kagome blushed. "You remember when I had that crush on that guy in Jr. High? Well, it was Shippo. At the time, he was dating someone else. I got over my crush with your help about the time he broke up and started to notice me. We became friends, but never went beyond that." She leaned over and caught Inuyasha's lips in a kiss. "Don't be jealous, Inuyasha. You're my only beloved."

Inuyasha mentally shook himself. He didn't think he was jealous, but refused to let that guy ruin their evening. Standing, Inuyasha helped Kagome to her feet. "Shall we dance?"

Kagome giggled. "As long as you don't mind me breaking your foot with this monstrosity on my leg (referring to her cast), I think I would love to dance with you." Inuyasha led Kagome out to the dance floor where she managed to dance with out injuring Inuyasha or herself in the process.

Later that evening, while Inuyasha and Kagome were taking a break from the dancing, Shippo approached the couple. "Kagome, could I talk to you for a moment, privately?"

Inuyasha started to growl again. Kagome reached up and kissed his cheek before whispering, "I will be right back, don't worry." She stood and allowed Shippo to lead her out to the patio.

Inuyasha decided that nothing would happen that he wouldn't know about, so he went to get himself a Coke. He stood against the wall, wondering what that guy could possibly have to say to his Kagome. A few minutes later, Inuyasha felt a flash of fear through the bond and then nothing.

Running out to where he last saw Kagome, he searched for her, calling her name. He couldn't find her, and no one had seemed to notice her leaving. Grabbing Miroku from where he and Sango were making out, they searched the entire club premises. Kagome was no where to be found.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: The mysterious watcher was...Shippo. Bet you guys never saw that one coming. Anyway, sorry for the slow update. Please continue to read, enjoy and review. Thanks_


	14. Kidnapped

Chapter 14: Kidnapped

* * *

"Damn it, Miroku! She's gone!" Inuyasha glared at his friend. "That Shippo guy is missing as well! He took Kagome, and I would be willing to bet that he's the one behind the notes and sabotaging my car!" He slammed his fist into the wall in frustration. 

"Inuyasha, are you 100percent sure that it was Shippo that took Kagome? After all, we've known him for years. Why would he do such a thing?" Sango looked confused. Inuyasha growled at her.

"Tell us again what happened."

Inuyasha took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Kagome and I were taking a break from dancing when Shippo came up and asked to speak to Kagome privately. She went with him out to the patio. About five minutes later, I felt a surge of fear through the bond, and then nothing. I tried to find her, but she was no where to be found. That is when I got you guys."

Sango looked at Inuyasha thoughtfully. "Do you think you could reach Kagome through the dream thing?"

Inuyasha looked startled. "I could try. I would need to be somewhere quiet, so I could fall asleep though. Kagome would also have to be sleeping."

"Let's go back to my place like we had originally planned. You should be able to sleep there." Inuyasha agreed and the group headed to Miroku's car.

Arriving at Sango's house, they made their way inside. Inuyasha made himself comfortable on the couch and tried to calm himself enough to sleep. It was not easy as he could hear Miroku and Sango murmuring in the next room and he was worried about Kagome. Finally, he managed to fall asleep.

**Dream**

_Inuyasha found himself on the grassy hillside. Looking around, he spied Kagome huddled beneath a tree, crying._

"_Kagome, are you okay? What happened? Where are you?" At Inuyasha's voice, the young woman leapt up and ran to him, almost knocking him down._

"_Inuyasha! I am so glad you're here! I am so scared!" she sobbed into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around the hysterical girl and held her tightly._

"_Shh, I am here. Everything will be okay," he told her repeatedly in a soothing voice. As her crying slowed, Inuyasha sat down with her still wrapped in his arms._

"_Kagome, I need to know what happened."_

_Kagome sniffled and took a deep, calming breath. "Shippo and I went out to the patio. He took my hand and told me that he had been stupid to let me go in Jr. High. He told me that he knew that we were destined to be together. He tried to kiss me, but I pushed him away. He got angry and hit me. I must have passed out. I don't know where I am, where he took me. Inuyasha, I am scared." She shuddered in his arms; Inuyasha held her tighter._

"_Don't worry, 'Gome, I will find you. You need to be strong for me, okay? Don't give up on me." Looking into his eyes, Kagome nodded. Inuyasha smiled gently and starting placing gently butterfly kisses on her eyes and face. "Remember, I will always be here for you. I will come for you as soon as I can."_

**End Dream**

_Later that morning_

"Miroku, Sango, I talked to Kagome. She said that Shippo hit her and she passed out. Do either of you know where he may have taken her?" They both shook their heads.

"We should call the police, Inuyasha."

"You can try, but I don't think that they will do anything until she has been missing for 24 hours. After all, the only proof we have is what Kagome told me through the dream connection, and that is not something I really want to try to explain to the police." Inuyasha leaned his head back on the couch, his eyes closing in frustration. Miroku held Sango's hand, trying to provide comfort to the distraught girl.

Sitting up quickly, Inuyasha grabbed his phone. "I have an idea!" Punching in a number, he listened impatiently until the other line was picked up.

"Hey Sess…yeah, I know what time it is, but it's an emergency! (pause) If you would shut up a moment, I'd tell you… Kagome's been kidnapped. I need to you get me all of the information on a Shippo…" Inuyasha looked at Sango, "what's his last name?"

"Kitsune"

"Yeah, his name is Shippo Kitsune… yeah… As soon as possible. Thanks!" Inuyasha shut his phone before explaining. "Sesshomaru will get us the info on Shippo, everything from driving violations to addresses of distant relatives. He should be calling back shortly."

Miroku stared at Inuyasha in surprise. "What does your brother do that he has access to that kind of information that quickly?"

Inuyasha chuckled humorlessly. "He is a big mucky-muck in the government; always sticking his nose in other people's business." Miroku and Sango looked at each other in awe; Inuyasha just shook his head.

* * *

"It is time to wake up my dear." 

Kagome struggled to open her eyes. Trying to bring a hand up to rub her stiff neck, she found that she was bound to a wooden chair, unable to move. Opening her eyes, she found herself in a strange, dingy, studio apartment. There were dirty dishes stacked in the sink across from where she sat. Along one side of the room lay a tattered mattress covered in blankets that had seen better days. On the other side of the room was a TV. But what caught Kagome's eyes were the thousands of photos that literally papered the walls. Everyone of them was of her. Some of them were from Jr. High, while others were as recent as graduation day.

Kagome tried not to show the terror that was building within her, but gave out a squeak when Shippo came around from behind her with another chair. Placing it in front of her, he straddled it, resting his arms on its back.

"I am so glad you are here, my dear Kagome. I hope that you like it. Soon, we will marry and I will be able to take care of you."

"Why are you doing this? I thought we were friends." Kagome was pleased that her voice was steady. Hopefully, Shippo couldn't tell that she was frightened of him.

"Oh my dear, we are more than friends. We are destined to be together. You are mine, and I am yours." He reached out and trailed his fingers along side her face. Kagome couldn't help but to flinch at his touch. Shippo drew back angrily.

"Why do you do that? Why do you pull away from me? I love you, Kagome, you are my life."

Kagome stared at the young man in front of her. The look in his eyes terrified her; his tone of voice was flat. She didn't know what to do. "Shippo, if you love me, why not let me go. Tying me in this chair doesn't show love…"

"NO!" Shippo stood quickly, thrusting the chair out of the way. "I can't let you go. You'll go back to that Inuyasha. I tried to tell you to stay away from him, but you didn't listen. I even tried to scare you away by messing with his car. I hope that you can forgive me, my dear. You were not supposed to get hurt. That was not my intention. But even then, you refused to stay away from him. Therefore, I can't let you go. But don't worry. Soon you'll understand and we'll be together always."

Shippo reached out, grabbing Kagome by the back of her neck and crushed a savage kiss upon her lips. Stepping back, he smiled and caressed her cheek. "You be good and I will be back in a bit. Don't go anywhere." He started to giggle maniacally as he left the apartment.

Kagome sat shaking in the chair, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Oh my God! Inuyasha, please hurry! I need you…"

* * *

TBC 

_A/N: Creepy, huh? I just wanted to give a great big THANK-YOU! To everyone who has reviewed this story. I am so excited that people are enjoying this. I look forward to reading even more. As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	15. Insanity

Chapter 15: Insanity

* * *

The house seemed unnaturally quiet as the three friends waited for the phone to ring. The only sounds were those of Miroku and Sango playing a card game accompanied by the occasional slap and hissed "Hentai!" and the sound of Inuyasha methodically shredding paper into tiny pieces.

The phone rang, causing the three to jump. "Inuyasha here. You have the information Sess? Okay, let me put you on the speaker." (A/N: I know that cell phones don't have speaker phone attachment (I don't think) but in my story, Inuyasha's does.) Inuyasha pushed a button. "Okay, give us what you got."

Sesshomaru's emotionless voice came over the speaker loud and clear. "Shippo Kitsune; Male, age 18. 5'9", red hair, green eyes, 138 lbs. Last known residence: Medical Lake Rehabilitation Center (This is the name of a "mental" hospital a couple of hours from where I live)."

"Medical Lake? Why was he there?" Miroku asked.

The sound of shuffling papers was heard over the speaker. "Kitsune had been admitted off and on since 1992 for mental instability, depression, and unhealthy obsessions stemming from witnessing his parents' murders at the age of 4. His last admittance was in 1999 where he resided until he checked himself out AMA (Against Medical Advice) when he turned 18. It appears that prior to leaving the facility, Kitsune was exhibiting an obsession with Kagome."

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango stared at each other. "Sesshomaru, is there anything you found that may indicate violent tendencies?" Sango asked, worry coloring her voice.

Sesshomaru hesitated before answering. "Yes. The chart stated that the possibility of violence was present, but had not manifested at that time."

"Shit! Any idea where he may have taken her?"

"There have been reports of him entering and leaving a condemned apartment complex on the outskirts of town. He would probably have taken her there."

"Thanks Sess. Give me the address and I'll take care of that bastard and get my Kagome back." Sesshomaru rattled off the address while Inuyasha scribbled it down.

"Be careful, Inuyasha. You don't know how this Shippo will react when confronted. I would feel better if you left this for the police; but knowing you, that won't happen. Call me when you've finished and Kagome is okay."

"Thank-you Sesshomaru for the info. We'll keep an eye on Inuyasha and keep him from getting into too much trouble." Miroku looked at Sango, raising an eyebrow. She ignored him. Inuyasha growled a goodbye and hung up the phone.

"Well, let's go find Kagome." Miroku stood up and headed for the door.

"I'm going alone." Sango looked at Inuyasha while Miroku stood with one hand on the knob.

"I'm sorry; I must have heard you wrong. I thought you said you were going alone." Inuyasha refused to meet Sango's glare. "You can just forget that stupid idea! Kagome is our friend too! We will not sit here worrying about her while you run off and try to play hero. Didn't you hear what your brother said about Shippo's instability? He almost killed you last time and you want to confront him alone?" Sango's voice had risen with each word, anger flaring in her eyes. She stood towering over Inuyasha, who was trying hard not to cower before her wrath.

"You dumb ass! We are coming with you, so get your butt in gear and get down to the car!" She turned and pushed past Miroku and headed out the door. The two men looked at each other; Miroku shrugged his shoulders and followed. Inuyasha sat stunned for a moment longer before rising with a "Keh!" and hurried after them.

* * *

Kagome had rubbed her wrists raw trying to slip them from the ropes that bound her to the chair. Getting nowhere fast, Kagome studied the room, looking for anything that might help her escape. She found a nail poking up from a floorboard near the TV. Jumping the chair carefully, she found herself close enough to tip the chair over.

"Ow! Damn it! I'm going to have a major bruise on my shoulder from that." Kagome found herself talking aloud to dispel the eerie silence. Wiggling around, Kagome finally found the nail and started to rub the ropes across it. "Please don't come back, stay away, come on stupid rope…" It became a sort of litany.

Kagome froze at every sound, praying her captor wasn't returning. Each time, she found herself releasing a breath when the sounds failed to evolve into footsteps. She didn't know when Shippo would return, but Kagome hoped that she'd be gone before then.

"Honey, I am home." Shippo came into the room giggling. He frowned when he saw Kagome on the floor.

"What are you doing over there? I thought I told you not to go anywhere! Now I have to punish you." He went about righting the chair with Kagome still tied to it as he spoke. Kagome sat trembling.

"I am sorry Shippo, I was only trying to turn on the TV so I wouldn't be so bored, and the chair tipped over." Shippo gave her a strange glance. Kagome tried not to let him see how frightened she was. Shippo smiled at her.

"I guess we can't have my destined mate be bored, now can we? I bet I can find some entertainment for us." Shippo pulled out a butterfly knife from his pocket and flipped it open. Kagome's eyes widened and she swallowed a scream.

"Wha…what are you g...g...going to do t...to me?" she stuttered.

"Oh, don't worry. I don't plan on killing you yet. I just got you after all. You're not supposed to break your new toys." He leaned over and cut the bindings from her legs. Kagome winced as stiff muscles protested their new found freedom. Shippo moved behind her and started to cut the ropes on her wrists. She looked towards the door, wondering if she could make her escape. The opportunity was lost when Shippo grabbed Kagome's wrist as the ropes fell and dragged her over to the mattress on the floor.

"Shippo, what are you doing? Please let me go." Kagome begged in a small voice. She was getting scared. The look that he gave her…. he was going to ….. no, he couldn't! Kagome started to struggle causing Shippo to grab her arms in a bone-crushing grip and shake her.

"Now, now. We can't have that going on my dear Kagome. I told you that you are mine and I plan on taking what is mine!" He forced a bruising kiss upon her mouth. Kagome stood still in shock before renewing her struggles. She felt his tongue prodding her lips.Seizing a frantic idea, she opened her mouth, allowing him access. When Shippo's tongue entered her mouth, she bit down as hard as she could, drawing blood.

Shippo stepped back and slapped Kagome to the floor. "You bitch!" he screamed, blood flowing down his chin. "After all that I have done for you, this is how you treat me?" He started kicking her as she lay curled on her side. Kagome was afraid that she had gone too far, that Shippo would kill her.

A particularly vicious kick to the back of her head caused her vision to dim. Mustering her remaining strength, she gave one desperate cry "INUYASHA!" before falling into darkness.

* * *

TBC 


	16. Rescued

Chapter 16: Rescued

* * *

Inuyasha ran past Miroku, grabbing the keys from him and slid into the driver's seat. "Inuyasha, you're not supposed to drive yet," Miroku cried.

"Get in if you're coming with me," Inuyasha growled as he started the car. Seeing the determination in his eyes, Miroku bit back his retort and climbed into the passenger seat while Sango took the back. "Buckle up!" With that as a warning, Inuyasha threw the car into gear and tore down the road.

Inuyasha drove the 15 miles to the address Sess had given them as if he was racing in the Daytona 500. Miroku had a hand braced on the dashboard while his eyes were closed. He was murmuring prayers under his breath. Sango had a death grip on the door, but didn't utter a word.

Screeching to a halt in front of the condemned building, Inuyasha leapt out of the car and ran up the dilapidated steps, only to be stopped by Miroku's hand.

"Inuyasha, we need a plan. You can't just run into a condemned building and search every room. That is not only dangerous, but stupid as well. If you can calm yourself, you should be able to get an idea whether Kagome is here through the soul connection. You may even be able to tell which floor she is being held on."

Inuyasha growled, but allowed himself to calm down and focus on the connection. He could feel her close by. "She's here. I think that she is on the second floor, towards the back. She is scared, you guys. I need to get to her." Miroku nodded.

"You lead and we'll follow. When we get to the right room, Inuyasha, you go first and get Shippo. Sango, you take care of Kagome. I will back up Inuyasha, making sure that Shippo doesn't escape." They nodded in understanding. Miroku opened the door and Inuyasha took the lead. Miroku and Sango, holding hands, followed close behind.

As quietly as they could, the group made their way up the rickety stairs and around piles of fallen debris. When they reached the second floor, the three teens could hear shouting coming from down one of the hallways. Inuyasha quickened his steps, still treading carefully so as not to alert anyone of their coming. Stopping at the last door in the corridor, Inuyasha put a hand on the knob, prepared to thrust the door open, only to find it locked. He heard muffled thuds coming from within, and then a heart wrenching "INUYASHA!".

Kicking open the door, Inuyasha rushed in and slammed his fist into the startled man's face. Glancing aside, he saw Sango rush over to what appeared to be a pile of rags, only to realize that it was Kagome. Turning back to Shippo who stood snarling in front of him, Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and said with a sneer, "you bastard! How dare you touch my Kagome!" He threw a punch at Shippo, landing on his stomach.

"She's not yours, she's mine! That bitch will pay for what she's done! We are destined to be together!" The enraged young man threw a punch at Inuyasha, who easily ducked under it to deliver a bruising upper cut to Shippo's jaw, knocking him out.

Inuyasha stood over him and continued to punch Shippo until he was stopped by Miroku's hand.

"Enough, Inuyasha. Leave him for the police. They are on their way. You need to see to Kagome."

"Kagome…" With a strangled cry, Inuyasha turned to where Sango sat holding the fallen girl's hand. "How is she? Kagome, are you okay?" He gently picked up the battered girl and cradled her in his arms.

"I don't think anything is broken, but she has some nasty bruises. We should have someone check her out." Inuyasha only nodded and sat rocking Kagome. Sango went down the stairs to lead the police up to the apartment while Miroku secured Shippo with the ropes that once held Kagome.

Sango soon returned with a handful of police and a couple of paramedics. Two of the officers took the now awake Shippo down to the street where he was loaded into one of the patrol cars and taken into custody. One took photos for evidence; a couple of others collected other pieces of evidence including the photos from the walls. The last officer took their statements and contact information.

Kagome was being treated by the paramedics. She had awoken confused and scared, but calmed down when she realized that Inuyasha held her safe in his arms. She refused to go to the hospital, wanting only to go home with her friends and put this nightmare behind her. After promising to check in with her doctor on Monday, the group was finally allowed to leave the building.

"I will drive us home." Sango took the keys from an unresisting Inuyasha and hopped behind the wheel while Miroku climbed into the passenger seat, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome to sit in the back. (A/N: poor Miroku – he doesn't ever seem to be able to drive his own car) Not much was said on the way back to Sango's; everyone lost in their own thoughts.

Upon arriving at the house, Inuyasha carried Kagome upstairs to the guest room. Leaving her with Sango to change and clean up, he went downstairs to called Sesshomaru. A short time later, he passed Sango in the hallway as he walked into the room where Kagome now lay.

"Don't leave me, Inuyasha. Please hold me." Kagome reached out to him. Inuyasha lay beside her and gathered her into his arms. She sighed and snuggled into him, tears seeping from beneath her lids.

"Shh. I will stay right here while you sleep." Inuyasha reached out and brushed the hair from her forehead. "Try to get some rest." He watched her as she relaxed and her breathing deepened. Placing a tender kiss on her head he whispered, "I will always be here for you."

* * *

TBC

_A/N: I just wanted to say that I never knew that there were so many people out there wanting Shippo's blood. Everyone wants me to kill him off. Hate to tell you, but that doesn't happen. He has been taken into custody though. As for making him a "bad" guy, I wanted to do something a little different than what I have read in other fics. I do want to clarify that I don't have anything against people with mental illnesses; that not all with said illnesses are violent in nature. I, myself, suffer from clinical depression, controlled by medication. I have tried to portray Shippo in such a way that he is as much a victim of his illness as Kagome is. I hope that I have not offended anyone, as this was not my intention._

_Thank-you for all the wonderful reviews! I think that I am now addicted to reviews. I need more and more to support my "habit" (gives everyone a cheesy grin). Please, as always, Read, Enjoy, and Review._


	17. Roadtrip

Chapter 17: Roadtrip

* * *

Kagome sat beneath the ancient God Tree and sighed. Several months had passed since graduation and the incident with Shippo. She had been surprised to hear about his illness, but was glad to know that he was now getting the treatment he required. Even after all that had happened between them, Kagome found herself pitying the young man and forgiving him.

The judge in the case assured her that Shippo would not be allowed to leave the treatment center until he was fully stabilized and deemed rehabilitated. Even then, he would not be able to have any contact with Kagome or her family.

"Hey Kagome, here's my flashlight. You make sure you bring it back, okay?" Kagome turned to look at her little brother. She smiled as she stood. 'Little' would not describe him much longer. He had gone through a growth spurt that had him only an inch or two shorter than herself.

"Thanks Sota. I'll be careful with it."

"Why can't I go camping with you guys? It sounds like a lot of fun." Sota crossed his arms and pouted.

Kagome laughed and mussed his hair. "I'm sorry, but this is our last get away before we start school in a few weeks. Besides, I thought mom was taking you to the beach."

"Yeah, but it is with mom. How can I look cool going to the beach with my mother, much less meet girls?"

"You'll meet more girls at the beach than you will meet on the mountain." Inuyasha came up, joining the conversation. "Besides, I bet that your mom would be willing to stay in the background if you explained the situation to her."

Sota brightened considerably. "I think I will go talk to her. Thanks Inuyasha!" Tossing a smile over his shoulder, Sota ran into the house looking for his mother.

Inuyasha and Kagome shared a laugh. "Thank-you Inuyasha."

"No problem. I know what it's like trying to look cool for the ladies with an adult hanging around. Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes. I just have to pack Sota's flashlight and finish loading the car. The others are going to meet us up there, right?" Inuyasha nodded.

"Koga and Ayame will get our spot tonight, while Miroku and Sango will drive up tomorrow afternoon."

Kagome had met Koga and Ayame a few weeks earlier when they came up to check out the university campus and register for classes. They had stopped by the shrine to visit Inuyasha and to be introduced to Kagome. She immediately recognized Ayame to be a kindred spirit, and invited them to join the camping trip that had been planned.

"Make sure you get a good night's sleep, Inuyasha. I would like to hit the road early in the morning."

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome and gave her a kiss. "Whatever you say, mother." He chuckled as he released her and headed back into the house. "Just make sure you do the same." Kagome shook her head in exasperation. She figured that she'd never fully understand men.

_The Next Morning_

"I hope that's that last of it. There isn't anymore room." Kagome sat on the trunk to get it to latch.

"If it isn't packed, then we don't need it. I thought that you were going to pack the shower; you seemed to pack everything else."

"I wish I could pack the shower. I am not looking forward to no hot running water for the course of this week." Inuyasha smiled; he knew how much Kagome loved her hot showers and baths.

"Okay, are you ready to go?" Kagome nodded and went into the house to tell her family they were leaving. Coming back carrying a couple of water bottles, she tossed one to Inuyasha and slid into the driver's seat of her convertible. Inuyasha climbed in beside her.

"Okay, let's hit the road. Mountains, here we come!"

* * *

The first hour or so of the trip was uneventful. Kagome and Inuyasha talked about classes they were starting soon, living arrangements and other such topics. They had just turned off the freeway onto a small two lane highway that had little traffic when Kagome's car blew a tire.

She managed to bring the car to a safe stop in a pullout. Hopping out of the car, the two surveyed the damage. "Damn! I have to unpack the trunk to get to the spare tire." Inuyasha chuckled.

"If you get the spare out, I will change it for you." Kagome just looked at him.

"I can change my own tire; you don't have to do it for me."

"Keh! That is why I am here, wench." Kagome glared at Inuyasha, but decided that it wasn't worth the argument. She opened the trunk and uncovered the spare. Inuyasha then proceeded to change the flat.

Kagome sat on the side of the road and watched Inuyasha struggle with the jack and the tire. Finally, after 30 minutes of watching him curse everything around him, she stood. "Inuyasha, go sit down and relax. I will finish this." Inuyasha stared at her.

"What? No way!"

"Inuyasha, SIT!"

"Keh! Fine. As if you could do better than me." Inuyasha flopped himself down in a pout."

Kagome took a deep breath and turned to the task before her. She quickly had the car jacked up, the tire changed and the flat stored back in the trunk within 5 minutes. As she reloaded the car, she caught Inuyasha's incredulous look and giggled.

"How did you do that?"

"Silly, did you forget that auto shop class I took my junior year of high school? Plus I have been changing the tires on mom's car for years." Inuyasha looked as if his jaw would drop to the ground. "Come on, let's get going. The others are probably wondering where we are."

Getting back on the road, Kagome couldn't help laughing at the blush that stained Inuyasha's cheeks. Reaching over and squeezing his hand in reassurance, Kagome gave him a quick glance. "Don't worry; I won't tease you about this; at least not much." She laughed again as he threw her another glare.

'Great, I know I'll never hear the end of this' Inuyasha thought. 'But damn, she's good!'

* * *

TBC 


	18. Camp

Chapter 18: Camp

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha drove into the campground right around lunch time. They found Koga and Ayame fixing sandwiches.

"Hey guys! It's about time you showed. We were getting hungry and couldn't wait. Do you want one?" Ayame held out a ham and cheese sandwich.

"Thanks, that would be wonderful. We had a little trouble on the way up, but we're here now." Kagome took the offered sandwich and grabbed a bottle of water. Inuyasha fixed himself a sandwich and sat beside Kagome.

Koga looked at the two new arrivals. "What kind of trouble?" Inuyasha refused to meet Koga's eyes.

"Nothing much; just a flat tire." Kagome smiled while Inuyasha blushed faintly. Koga and Ayame exchanged confused looks. There was obviously more to the story than what they were being told.

"Well, I'm glad that you're here safely. After we eat, Koga and Inuyasha can go get some firewood, while you and me finish setting up camp." Kagome agreed and the friends finished their lunches in no time.

The guys headed off to find some firewood, leaving the girls at camp. Kagome popped her trunk and pulled out the camp chairs and sat them around the fire pit. Ayame grabbed the second tent and set it up with Kagome's help in very little time.

Ayame stood back and laughed. Kagome looked at her questioningly. "When you and I put up this tent, it only took us 10 minutes. When Koga and I put up the tent yesterday, it took 3 times longer."

Kagome smiled. "Yeah, sometimes we need to let them muddle through so they feel wanted." She told Ayame about the flat after getting her to promise not to tell Koga. The two women laughed over the ineptness of their boyfriends.

Koga and Inuyasha returned to camp and piled the firewood beneath the table to help keep it dry.

"We went up to the ranger station. Evidently there have been bear sightings recently. We need to make sure not to leave food out in the camp and to use precautions while hiking."

Ayame looked frightened. "Bears! Are we in any danger?" She edged closer to Koga and grabbed his arm.

"Nah. The main thing is to make sure the food is put away correctly and always hike in groups of two or more, making lots of noise as you go," Inuyasha told the frightened girl.

"Besides, there are only black bears around here and they don't tend to be very aggressive. They would rather run away from people if given the chance." Ayame looked at Koga and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thank-you Koga. That makes me feel better."

"Do you want to come fishing with us? We are going to try to catch dinner for tonight." Ayame readily agreed and Inuyasha handed her a pole. "Are you coming Kagome?"

"No thanks. I think that I'll stay here and do a little reading. Someone should be here when Sango and Miroku show up."

"Okay. We'll be back later then." Inuyasha caught Kagome around the waist and gave her a kiss. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck! Bring back lots!" Kagome waved as they made their way down to the stream. Grabbing her book, she made herself comfortable and lost herself in her story.

The sun was warm as it filtered through the trees. A light breeze rustled the treetops. Birds, squirrels and chipmunks added their voices to the peaceful stillness. Kagome found her eyes drifting closed and she fell into a doze before she realized it. Her book lay forgotten on her stomach.

A few hours later, Inuyasha returned to camp with the fish. Koga and Ayame decided to do a little swimming before coming back to camp. Finding Kagome sleeping, Inuyasha sleeping, he snuck up behind her and dropped the string of fish into her lap.

"AAAHHH!" Kagome jumped up, flinging the fish onto the ground. Inuyasha started to laugh uncontrollably. "Inuyasha! You baka! What did you do that for?"

Inuyasha could hardly breathe, he was laughing so hard. Kagome threw her book at him.

"I couldn't resist. You should have seen your face!" Kagome glared at him and picked up the now dirt encrusted fish.

"What ever. Just for that, you can go clean these." She threw the string at him. "Where are the other two?"

"They are going to swim for awhile." Inuyasha took the trout and headed towards the cleaning station near the park entrance.

"Baka!" Kagome muttered as she wiped fish slime off her legs. She looked up as a car pulled up to the camp.

"Hi Kagome! We finally made it!" Sango hopped out as the car slowed to a stop. She ran up and hugged Kagome, only to step back wrinkling her nose. "You smell like fish."

"Yeah, thanks to Inuyasha. The baka tossed the string of trout into my lap while I was sleeping. I haven't had a chance to clean up yet." Sango laughed as Kagome glared at her as well.

"Hello Kagome. I am glad we are finally here. Where is everyone?" Miroku came up from the car to stand beside Sango.

"Inuyasha is cleaning fish for dinner while Koga and Ayame are swimming."

"Where should we put our stuff?" Kagome showed them which tent the guys would use while the other would be for the girls.

"We'll keep the ice chests in the cars. There have been bear sightings recently." Miroku nodded and took his stuff to the tent he'd be using. "How was your trip up, Sango?"

Sango blushed and Kagome looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "The trip up was fine." Kagome waited for her to continue. Sango refused to meet her eyes.

"What's going on Sango?"

"Nothing."

Kagome snorted. "I know you better than that."

"I'll tell you later, I promise." Kagome nodded, planning on holding her to that promise.

Kagome helped Sango get settled while Miroku got the campfire started. Inuyasha brought back the cleaned trout as Koga and Ayame came up the road. Kagome took the fish and wrapped them in foil before tucking them under the coals to bake.

A short time later, Kagome determined the fish was ready, and pulled the foil packets from the fire. Calling to the guys, she set the fish on a plat and took a seat. Everyone looked appreciatively at the meal that the girls had concocted. Sango had made potato salad and rolls. Ayame had brought and sliced a watermelon. Thanks to the efforts of Inuyasha, Koga and Ayame, there were enough fish for everyone to have two each. Everyone dug in and soon were fully satiated.

"Okay guys, it's your turn. We cook, you clean." Sango handed Miroku a trash bag. With only a few groans, Inuyasha and Koga washed the dishes while Miroku threw away the garbage and put the leftover food securely away in the car.

While the guys cleaned up from dinner, the girls took a walk around the campground. "Okay Sango, what happened on the way up here?" Kagome put her hand on Sango's arm.

"We were probably half-way here when Miroku pulled his infamous move. I slapped him and asked why he kept doing that. I expected his normal excuses, but that is not what he told me. He said that his groping was how he told women that he liked them. I told him that we did not appreciate being man-handled in that way. Miroku stopped the car and looked at me and apologized. He told me that he liked me more than as a friend, but was not sure how to tell me." Sango blushed while Kagome stared at her in shock. Ayame giggled.

"So what happened then?" Kagome started jumping up and down excitedly.

"I told him that I liked him too, that I would be willing to go beyond friendship, but only if he quit putting his hand on my ass without permission. He said he could do that and then we kissed. He started the car and here we are."

"That is great Sango! I am so happy for you."

"Yeah, well, we'll see what happens."

"Who knows, maybe things will progress during this trip." Ayame gave Sango a mischievous look, causing the dark haired girl to blush deeply while Kagome and Ayame laughed at her discomfort.

Back at camp, everyone sat around the campfire and told ghost stories. Kagome and Inuyasha held hands while Kagome leaned her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. Miroku and Sango sat together on a log, Miroku's arm resting on her shoulders; while Koga lay with his head on Ayame's lap. The stories continued late into the night before the group broke up and headed off to bed. After promising to rise early the next day to go hiking, goodnights were exchanged and the camp slowly quieted.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: I wanted this to be a light heated chapter to give everyone a breather before the story continues. As such, this is a filler chapter. The story will pick up again soon, so stay with me. As always, Read, Enjoy and Review. Thanks_


	19. Boulders, falls, and bears! Oh my!

Chapter 19: Boulders, falls, and bears! Oh my!

* * *

The next morning, Kagome woke early, feeling refreshed and ready to do some hiking. Moving carefully so as to avoid waking her tent mates, she exited the tent, stretching as she stood. She was a bit surprised to see Koga already up.

"Good morning Kagome. Did you sleep well?" He smiled and handed her a cup of coffee. She took the cup, wrapping her hands around its warmth.

"Morning Koga. I slept very well. I always do when I come up here. Thank-you for the coffee."

"Did I hear the word 'coffee'?" Kagome felt two arms wrap around her waist. "Good morning angel." Inuyasha reached out and took her cup from her, taking a drink. Kagome pouted while Koga laughed and handed her another cup.

It wasn't long before everyone was up and moving, if not fully awake. Koga made a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon, much to everyone's pleasant surprise. When the group had eaten and dishes were cleaned, everyone gathered around the table to plan the day's activities.

"I am ready to do some hiking; I would like to take the Skyline Trail." Sango pointed out the winding path on the map spread before them.

"That sounds really good to me. The wildflowers should be at their peak right about now. Count me in." Kagome stood eagerly. The others quickly agreed. They gathered their gear and piled into Koga's van to head up to the trail head.

When they reached the start of the trail, Miroku and Kagome made sure that everyone carried food, water and emergency supplies. Kagome handed everyone a whistle. "If you get separated, lost, or if something happens and you need help, blow your whistle and stay put. Someone will find you."

"Don't forget to stick together and make noise as you go. We don't need any encounters with bears," Koga added. With the warnings given, the group headed out on the trail. Within a few minutes, the group split into 2 groups; the first was Miroku and Sango out in the lead, while the second group contained Ayame, Kagome, Koga and Inuyasha.

Miroku and Sango soon left the others far behind as they navigated the steep trail like mountain sheep. Before too long, they were out of sight. Ayame expressed concern but Inuyasha laughed and told her that Koga had the keys to the van, so they were going to have to wait for them eventually.

Kagome and Inuyasha were quite content to walk with Koga and Ayame. They would stop now and then to take in the spectacular views and take pictures of wildflowers. Koga pointed out a white-tailed deer and her twin fawns. Kagome pointed out an eagle that soared on the thermal currents coming off the mountain.

Miroku and Sango sat catching their breath, realizing that the others were far behind them. "Hey Miroku, take a look at these tracks." Sango pointed to a set of tracks that marred the damp ground beside her.

"Those are bear tracks. They appear pretty fresh too." Miroku took a look around. "The bear is probably looking for any early huckleberries that may be ripe." Sango stood and nodded.

"I still don't want to meet one, thank-you very much." Miroku stood and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I will protect you my dear," he whispered in her ear. Sango blushed.

"Let's get going." She stepped out of his arms and continued up the path. Miroku sighed and followed close behind.

They hiked through the sub alpine forest, to emerge above the tree line. They halted when the path they were following ended in a washout.

"This probably happened a few days ago when they had the heavy rains here." Miroku stood studying the path thoughtfully. To either side of the trail lay a tumble of boulders and rocks of varying sizes.

"Should we wait here for the others, Miroku?"

He turned and looked at Sango. "Stay here for a moment. I want to check something out." Sango watched as Miroku made his way over the fallen rocks. When he was about 200 yards in front of her, he turned back to call out, but lost his balance and fell off the boulder he was on.

"Miroku! Are you okay? Miroku, answer me!" Sango started to scramble her way to the spot where she last saw him. There was no answer to her calls and she expected the worst. She had just come to the rock where he last stood when Sango heard a moan. Miroku sat up and slowly put his hand to his head.

"Ow, that smarts." He looked up and gave Sango a sheepish grin.

"You had me worried, you baka!" Sango stepped down to reach Miroku's spot. As her foot came down, a rock rolled from beneath her, twisting her ankle. She fell into Miroku's lap with a small cry of pain. "Damn it! I don't need this right now!"

Miroku gently checked out her ankle. "I don't think it's broke, just sprained. I don't want to take your boot off until we get back to camp, as it will help keep down the swelling." Sango nodded, gritting her teeth against the pain.

"Are you okay?" She reached up and touched a small cut behind Miroku's ear that had already stopped bleeding.

"Yeah. I hit my head when I fell, stunning me for a bit. Other than a slight headache, I am okay. Do you think you can stand up? We should probably go back to the path and wait for the others."

Sango nodded and stood to her feet, trying to keep the weight off her bad ankle. Miroku offered his help as they slowly made their way over the small boulders, but Sango would give small cries of pain. Finally growing frustrated, Miroku put Sango on his back and carried her carefully over the remaining distance back to the path.

"Sit here and prop up your foot. The others are coming as I can already see Inuyasha's red shirt." He handed her a bottle of water and a couple of aspirin from the first aid kit. Settling down, the two waited for their friends to catch up.

The group reunited and rested while Kagome cleaned and bandaged Miroku's cut. After determining that Sango could walk if she took it slowly, they turned and headed back down the path.

"You guys were lucky that you weren't seriously hurt. You should know better than to go off the marked path. Neither of you are geared for back country hiking." Koga scolded the two injured teens. Miroku mumbled an apology and hung his head. If it hadn't been for him, Sango would not have gotten injured.

"Hey look down there!" Ayame pointed excitedly at a black shape in a clump of bushes about ½ mile down the mountain side.

"That must be the bear whose tracks we saw earlier. That is a patch of huckleberries." Sango informed her. Ayame stared as the bear stopped and looked at the group before heading into the cover of the forest.

"Wow! That is as close as I care to get to a bear, thank-you very much. Although it was kind of cool seeing it." Koga chuckled and grabbed Ayame's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Don't worry, the bear probably feels the same way you do." Everyone laughed at Koga's observation.

The group finally made their way back to the van; Sango was walking better by that time. Piling in, they returned to camp.

Back at the campground, it was quickly determined that Sango had suffered a mild sprain. The group decided that the icy stream would help relieve any swelling, so they quickly changed into shorts and headed down to do some wading and swimming.

Sango sat upon a rock, dangling her feet into the frigid water. Ayame sat beside her watching as Miroku and Koga tried to see who could skip rocks the farthest. A cry of surprise caught everyone's attention as they turned to see Inuyasha throw Kagome over his shoulder and head to the deep part of the stream before carefully dropping her into the chilly water.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome sputtered as she gathered her feet beneath her. Standing, the water came up to her chest. Swiping water from her eyes, she looked up at the smirking man standing over her. Tucking her head to hide the evil smile, she wrapped her arms around her body and shivered, looking miserable. Taking pity on the girl, Inuyasha reached out a hand to help her out of the water. Taking his hand, Kagome pulled him in before scrambling out of his reach.

The two proceeded to have a splashing and ducking contest, eventually everyone was sopping wet and shivering. Laughing, they chased each other back to the camp site, only to disappear to put on dry clothing. Soon, everyone was back and gathered around the now roaring campfire, drying their hair and telling embarrassing stories.

Later that night, everyone headed to bed. The day turned out to be a good one despite the morning's incident, and they were all exhausted.

Laying almost asleep, Ayame heard a low growl. Thinking she was imagining things, she rolled over, only to hear it again. "Hey, guys, are you awake?"

"Sort of. What's wrong?" Kagome sat up and looked at Ayame.

"I thought I heard something growl just now." Kagome stared at her friend. She was about to say something when they heard another growl quite clearly. Kagome was a little confused but Ayame had made her own conclusions. "BEAR! BEAR!"

Sango sat upright. "What? What's wrong?" Outside, the girls could hear the guys asking if everything was okay.

"I heard a bear! It's here in the camp," Ayame called out. The guys grabbed their flashlights and searched the camp, looking for any sign of a four-footed intruder. Ayame sat huddled in her sleeping bag wile Sango blinked sleepily. Kagome looked thoughtful.

Another growl sounded close by and Ayame started to cry, certain that they'd all be eaten. Kagome started to laugh. The two girls looked at her in confusion.

"Guys, there's nothing out there. There was never a bear." The tent flap opened and showed the concerned faces of the three young men.

"What was it then?" asked Ayame.

Kagome laughed and tossed a granola bar at Sango. "It was Sango's tummy growling." Everyone sweat dropped. Sango looked sheepish.

"I'm sorry guys. I guess I didn't eat enough at dinner." The guys laughed and bid the girls good night before returning to their tent. Ayame muttered an apology before hiding her red face in her bag. Sango finished her granola bar and fell back to sleep. Kagome lay chuckling a while longer before she too succumbed to sleep.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: The bear story and the growling stomach actually happened to a couple of friends of mine. We still laugh about it years later. As always, Read, Enjoy and Review. Thank-you._


	20. New Beginnings

Chapter 20: New Beginnings

* * *

The remainder of the week quickly passed by. Thankfully, no further incidents or "bear attacks" occurred. The last morning arrived and the campsite was a flurry of activity. The guys were busy taking down the tents while the girls were packing the vehicles.

"Why is it that I seem to leave with more stuff than I came here with?" Kagome looked at her sleeping bag ruefully. There wasn't any room in her car for it.

Sango laughed. "I can take it back for you Kagome. We've extra room with most of the food gone. You bought all those souvenirs, remember?"

"I didn't think I bought that much. Besides, they will make great Christmas gifts." Sango only shook her head and grabbed Kagome's sleeping, stashing it in Miroku's car.

"Hey Kagome, this must be your flashlight. Koga has ours." Ayame tossed Kagome her flashlight.

"Thanks Ayame. Sota would kill me if I lost his flashlight." She turned and looked about the campsite. "It looks like we've gotten everything. Everyone on cleanup detail!" After handing out sacks to everyone, they scoured the site looking for any small pieces of trash or papers that were left lying around. Kagome and Miroku both were taught that you left your campsite in better shape than it was when you arrived. A short time later, trash was discarded and everyone was ready to go.

"It has been a really fun week. Thanks for inviting us! We will see you guys next week." Ayame gave Kagome and Sango hugs while Koga watched from the van.

"Bye guys. We'll see you on campus!" With a wave, Koga and Ayame headed home. The others soon followed. Kagome was sad the trip was almost over, but she was excited thinking about taking a hot shower.

* * *

"Ahhh, that sure does feel good!" Kagome stepped out of the shower and put on clean clothes. "It is nice wearing something that doesn't smell like bug spray or smoke."

Drying her hair, Kagome opened the door and headed downstairs. "Shower's open." Inuyasha gathered his things, kissing Kagome as he passed her.

"It's about time! I thought you were going to stay there all day. Did you leave me any hot water?" He grinned at her before hurrying into the bathroom. Kagome sighed and headed into the kitchen to figure out what to do for dinner.

"There isn't much here. Mom, grandpa and Sota will be home tomorrow. I guess I could go to the store, but I'm too tired." She went back into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Kagome turned on the television and found an old black and white movie that she quickly got lost in. She squeaked in surprise when Inuyasha plopped down beside her.

"What do you want to do for dinner? Your mom didn't leave anything here and I really don't feel like going to the store. I am going to need to eat soon, or we may have another 'bear attack'." Kagome stifled a giggle.

"How about ordering pizza? I agree with you in that I don't want to go anywhere tonight."

Inuyasha nodded. "Sounds good to me." He placed the order and returned to the couch. Snuggling up with Kagome, Inuyasha watched the movie until he fell asleep.

A short time later, Kagome woke Inuyasha with a piece of pizza. "No bear attacks here." Inuyasha growled playfully at her before they dug into the pizza.

* * *

"Mom, it's not like I am moving across the country! I am only going to be twenty minutes across town!" Kagome finished packing her clothes into her car.

"I know, dear. It is just that you won't be living here any longer. I am going to miss you. Promise me that you'll call me on a regular basis." Her mother handed Kagome a box with photos and small knickknacks.

"Of course I'll call. We will probably come by for dinner a couple of times a month." Finally getting everything loaded, Kagome turned to her mom. "I don't know what I am forgetting. If I can figure it out, I will come by later." She gave her mom a hug. Mrs. Higurashi embraced her daughter, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Okay then, if you need anything, give me a call. Take care, dear." With a sad smile, Mrs. Higurashi stepped back as Kagome hopped into her car.

"Bye mom! I need to get going or Inuyasha will beat me there." Inuyasha had taken the train back to Kaede's the day before. He was picking up his repaired car as well as the things he'd need for school. Waving farewell, Kagome headed for the university campus.

* * *

After checking in and getting her room assignment, Kagome started unloading her car. As she trudged up the three flights of stairs, she grumbled to herself about the lack of elevators. 'At least I don't have to worry about staying in shape.' Upon reaching the 3rd floor, she managed to find her room number. It was quite easy as she could hear her roommate, Sango, singing to the radio.

"Hey Sango, you're here already! Kagome dropped her load on the unclaimed bunk bed.

"Hi Kagome! Yeah, I got here a couple of hours ago. You need any help?"

"Please! I swear my legs are going to give out on those stairs!" Flashing an understanding smile, Sango followed Kagome down to her car. "Have you seen the others yet?"

"Yep. Miroku is here already. Koga and Ayame came in this morning, but they've got an apartment in town. They said that they'd meet us for dinner." Grabbing several boxes, Sango helped Kagome unload her car. It only took the girls two more trips to haul everything up to their room.

Flopping into the desk chair, Kagome took a quick look around the room that she and Sango would call home for the next year. There was a set of bunk beds – Sango had claimed the top bunk, two desks with chairs, two dressers, two bookshelves, and two small closets. The room also held a sink and medicine cabinet.

Kagome plugged in the mini refrigerator that her grandfather had gotten her and Sango put the microwave and coffee pot on top. Sango's television and DVD/video player sat on top of her dresser.

Miroku came in after knocking on the open door. "Hello Sango, my love. Hi Kagome. Do you need any help unpacking?"

"Oh, nice! Now you show up after we have everything up the stairs." Sango glared at him.

"Of course! I planned it that way. I can actually see you ladies from my dorm room." Miroku pointed at the dorm across the street. "We are on the 4th floor right across from you."

"Oh no! Kagome, we will have to be sure to keep the curtains closed! No peep shows allowed!" Miroku pouted and ducked as Sango threw her pillow at him. Kagome laughed as she finished putting away her clothes.

"Hey guys, Inuyasha just pulled up. He's rooming with you, right Miroku?" Kagome turned from the window and headed for the door.

"Yep. I guess I should go and offer to help him unpack." The three friends made their way down to where Inuyasha was starting to unload his car.

Sneaking up behind him, Kagome wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hey there sexy. You new around here?"

"Inuyasha spun in her arms and kissed her. "Yeah, I'm new here, but I already have the most beautiful girl around as my fiancée." Kagome blushed and kissed him back.

Miroku coughed in the background. Inuyasha and Kagome broke apart and both sported blushes. "Do you need some help?" Inuyasha didn't say anything, just picked up his duffle bag and tossed it to him. Sango and Kagome both loaded their arms, while Inuyasha got the rest. They would be able to take everything up in one trip.

"Hello, Inuyasha. Long time, no see." Inuyasha turned to look for the voice. Behind him stood a dark-haired woman with a cold smile on her face.

Inuyasha dropped the bag he was carrying and growled. "Hello Kikyo."

* * *

TBC 


	21. Reconciliation?

Chapter 21: Reconciliation?

* * *

"You don't seem pleased to see me, Inuyasha. You surely are not still upset with me, are you?" Kikyo studied Inuyasha closely.

"Keh. What do you want, Kikyo?" He stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Miroku caught Sango's and Kagome's attention and motioned them inside. Kagome nodded and turned to follow him upstairs, only to pause at the door once more.

Inuyasha felt Kagome's concern for him through the soul connection. Turning his head slightly, he gave her a reassuring smile before turning back to the woman in front of him. Kagome entered the building, allowing Inuyasha some privacy.

After Kagome went inside, Inuyasha studied the woman who had broken his heart. "I thought I told you to stay away from me."

Kikyo sighed. "I know that I was really stupid back then. I know that what I did hurt you and Koga, and for that I am very sorry. I saw you unpacking and I had to come over and apologize again and ask your forgiveness. I have missed the friendship we used to have. After we broke up, I found myself shunned by the entire school. It was nothing more than what I deserved. My parents transferred me to another school where I could start afresh. I met a guy who helped me reconcile myself to my misdeeds and now I am here asking for you to forgive me and to hopefully restore the friendship I so carelessly destroyed."

Inuyasha stared at her for a long moment. He couldn't believe his ears. This two-timing bitch wanted him to forgive her and for them to be friends again? She must be crazy. As the silence stretched on, Inuyasha saw a tear roll down her cheek. 'What the hell?' he wondered to himself. 'Is it possible for her to have changed that much?'

"I don't think that our friendship will ever be the same, Kikyo. Friendship requires trust, and you shattered that. I have already forgiven you, but I don't think that I am ready to call you a friend. You need to earn that privilege."

Kikyo smiled at Inuyasha. "Thank-you for that much at least. Hopefully, I will be able to rebuild your trust in me."

"You need to understand something first, Kikyo. I am engaged to a wonderful woman. If I find that you have done anything to hurt her or any of my friends, you will wish you had never met me."

Kikyo nodded in understanding. "You don't have to worry about that Inuyasha. I will prove myself worthy of your friendship once again. Thank-you." Turning with a small wave, Kikyo made her way down the street. Inuyasha watched for a moment before shaking his head and grabbing his stuff once more.

Kikyo turned the corner and leaned up against a building, a smirk on her face. "And once I am back in your good graces, I can destroy Kagome." (A/N: How does she know Kagome and why does she want to destroy her? Tee Hee, I am so bad…)

* * *

Miroku and Sango were waiting for Kagome in the stairwell. "What is the deal with that Kikyo, and why did Inuyasha seem so cold towards her?" Sango looked at her friend, hoping for answers to the puzzling scene they had just witnessed.

"I'll tell you guys upstairs what I know, which isn't much. Koga knows more, as he was involved in the whole mess." Miroku raised a curious eyebrow, but led the girls up the stairs to the room he was sharing with Inuyasha.

Dropping their burdens in a corner of the room, Sango and Miroku turned to Kagome in expectation. Kagome sat on one of the bunks, twisting the hem of her shirt in agitation.

"I don't know the full story, but Kikyo, Inuyasha, and Koga were all friends through grade school and into Jr. High. In 8th grade, Inuyasha and Kikyo started dating. Things started to get pretty intense, at least for 8th graders. One day, Inuyasha went over to Koga's house to work on a project. When he got there, he found Kikyo and Koga making out. It turned out that she was seeing Inuyasha at the same time she was seeing Koga. Needless to say, Inuyasha and Koga fought and ended up not talking to each other for 3 years. Word made its way around the school, and Kikyo was black listed and ended up moving to a different school across town."

Miroku gave a low whistle when Kagome finished. "That is so low! Dating your boyfriend's best friend at the same time. No wonder Inuyasha growled at her."

Inuyasha entered the room causing everyone to look at him. Kagome stood and went to wrap her arms around his waist. "Are you okay? What did she want?"

Inuyasha gently kissed Kagome's upturned face. "Yeah, I'm okay. She apologized and asked forgiveness for her actions. She told me that she wanted to be friends again. I told her that she would need to earn that right, and she replied that she'd try. I also told her I was engaged and that if she did anything to hurt you or any of my friends again, she would regret ever meeting me."

Kagome laid her head against his shoulder and sighed. "If she does anything to hurt you, I will hurt **_her_**." Everyone looked at Kagome in surprise. They were not used to hearing their petite friend threaten anyone much less in the tone of voice she used. They were all glad that they were not the ones being threatened.

Inuyasha chuckled. "I guess that would make you my avenging angel then." Miroku and Sango grinned while Kagome pouted at his teasing.

"Say, is anyone else getting hungry? We are supposed to meet Koga and Ayame in 20 minutes." Miroku stood and went over to where Sango leaned against the wall. Grabbing her around the waist, he twirled her into a dip. "I am so hungry, I could heat Sango," he said with a lecherous leer. Kagome laughed as Sango blushed darkly.

"Sango and I will go get our stuff and meet you out front. Who's driving?"

"I'll drive. I am so glad I got my car back, I don't want to ride in anyone else's car for a while." Everyone chuckled at Inuyasha's declaration.

"Okay, see you out front in 10 minutes."

* * *

"Hey Sango, where are we meeting Koga and Ayame?" Inuyasha pulled to a stop at a light, looking back at Sango for directions.

"We're meeting them at Shermer's. It is a little diner off of Grand Ave. Take a left at the next light and you'll see it on the left hand side of the road."

"Hey there's Koga's van. They must have just pulled in." Kagome pointed out the army green van that Koga and Ayame were climbing out of.

"Hey guys! Long time, no see!" Ayame squealed as she hugged everyone. Sango punched her lightly in the arm.

"You baka! You just saw me this morning." Ayame smiled ruefully.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Anyway, I am so glad that everyone is here together!" Linking arms with Kagome and Sango, she skipped into the diner with the guys following close behind.

The hostess sat them in a corner booth and brought them their drinks. Inuyasha turned to Koga. "Hey Koga, guess who stopped by to see me earlier."

Koga gave him a blank look. "Who would that be?"

"Kikyo."

"That bitch is here? What did she want?" Inuyasha told him about their conversation. Koga snarled. "I don't want that _thing_ anywhere near me. You are more forgiving than I am willing to be."

Inuyasha took a drink of his soda. "We'll see what happens. I am not going to go out of my way for her, that is for sure."

Their waitress came by to take their orders. Conversation turned to the classes they were starting on Monday. The waitress soon returned with their food, and everyone dug in, mulling the events of the day in silence.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Kikyo has something up her sleeve. The question is, will Inuyasha and the gang figure it out in time?_


	22. Study Partners?

Chapter 22: Study Partners?

* * *

Classes started and the friends soon fell into a routine. They would meet together for dinner during the week, and then spend Saturdays studying together in one of the libraries on campus.

Inuyasha often saw Kikyo on campus and discovered that she was in his Chemistry lecture. Whenever they would meet, Inuyasha would give her a polite greeting and Kikyo never pushed beyond that.

"Before you leave, make sure to study for the exam scheduled for next Monday. It will cover everything we have been over so far and will account for 30 of your grade." Mr. Crosby gathered his papers and left the auditorium as the students groaned and grabbed their things.

Inuyasha was heading out to meet Kagome for lunch when Kikyo called his name. He turned and saw her rushing his way.

"Inuyasha, could I study with you for this test? I am having problems keeping the formulas straight." Inuyasha nodded.

"I guess that would be okay. You could meet us tomorrow on the fourth floor of the main library. We sit in the far right corner. Be there at 1 pm."

Kikyo gave him a relieved smile. "Thanks Inuyasha. I'll see you there." She left, heading to her next class.

* * *

"Hi there angel." Inuyasha leaned over and kissed Kagome's cheek. She smiled distractedly as she continued to type on her laptop. Inuyasha slid into the seat beside her, spreading out his text books. Miroku and Sango hadn't shown up yet, and he knew that Koga and Ayame had gone home for the weekend.

"What are you working on?"

"Oh, just that stupid 10 page paper for English. I have all my research done; now I have to put it together." Kagome grimaced. English was not her favorite subject.

"Hey guys, sorry we're late." Miroku pulled out a chair for Sango before taking one for himself. They both pulled out their calculus books and worked on the problems that had been assigned. Everyone was working diligently when they were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hello Inuyasha. I hope that I am not late." Kikyo smiled at the group before grabbing a chair and sitting at the end of the table next to Inuyasha.

Kagome, Miroku, and Sango looked at each other in confusion. Inuyasha, seeing their looks explained. "She is in my chemistry class and asked for help studying for the exam on Monday. I offered to help her today." The others smiled at the newcomer and made small sounds of welcome before going back to their work.

For the next couple of hours, all that was heard were the low, murmured explanations and the click of Kagome's keyboard. Sango glanced over at Kikyo several times, becoming disturbed at how close she sat to Inuyasha and the fact that she constantly seemed to be touching him. There was just something about her that Sango didn't like.

"Thanks for your help, Inuyasha. I think I got it now. I'll see you in class. Bye everyone." Kikyo stood and left the table with a small wave. Once she was gone, Inuyasha excused himself to the restroom.

Sango took advantage of his absence. "Did you see how Kikyo was practically all over Inuyasha? She couldn't keep her hands to herself."

"I noticed that as well. I wonder what she intends." Miroku leaned back and stretched.

"I am sure she didn't mean anything by it. She was just trying to be considerate and not disturb us," Kagome hurried to the girl's defense. Sango and Miroku exchanged glances, not convinced of Kikyo's "innocent intentions". Sango started to say something, but closed her mouth when Inuyasha returned.

'That woman definitely requires watching,' Sango thought to herself. 'I bet I can get Miroku to keep an eye open as well.'

Kikyo became a regular part of their study group after that. Koga was furious, refusing to be in the same room with her. He and Ayame started to come later, after she had already left. Miroku reported that Kikyo would often call the room in the evenings to talk to Inuyasha. Kagome still defended her whenever Sango or Miroku brought up their concerns.

* * *

The semester was coming to a close. Miroku had crashed with Sango in her room, watching a movie. Kagome had gone out to take back some notes she had borrowed from a classmate, after which she would go over to Inuyasha's room where he was napping.

Kikyo had dropped by Inuyasha's room to get some help with her chemistry. When she knocked on his door, he seemed surprised to see her there.

"Umm, come in Kikyo. What do you want?" He opened the door and let her in, running his fingers through his mussed hair. Kikyo smiled at him and sat on his bed.

"I can't seem to figure out how to do these problems. Could you help me?" Inuyasha shut the door partially and went to sit beside her.

"Okay, but why didn't you call first?"

Kikyo pouted and said, "I was over this way and thought I'd pop in." Inuyasha sighed and proceeded to explain the problems. Kikyo managed to hide her grin. She was one step closer to her goal.

A few minutes later, Kikyo heard Kagome's voice as she greeted one of the guys down the hall. 'I can't believe my luck! Now's my chance to drive a wedge between Inuyasha and Kagome!' As Kagome's steps neared the door, Kikyo threw herself onto Inuyasha, who in astonishment, fell back onto the bed. She straddled him and began kissing him.

Kagome reached Inuyasha's room and went to knock, only to notice the door was open a little. Pushing it open, her eyes widened with shock and tears started rolling down her cheeks. "Inuyasha…." Kagome gasped out before turning and running down the hallway. Her only thought was to escape.

Inuyasha heard Kagome say his name, breaking the paralysis that seemed to have stricken his body and mind. He threw Kikyo off of him and ran to the stairwell "Kagome!" His voice echoed in the empty space. Turning back to the woman who had followed him, his eyes flashed angrily as he growled. "What in the hell were you thinking? Get out of here now!" He pushed past the smirking girl, running into his room and slammed his door shut. Inuyasha grabbed his phone to call Sango to see if she knew where Kagome may have gone.

Kikyo stared at the closed door before walking down to the street. Taking out her cell phone, she flipped it open, dialed a number and waited for the person to pick up. "Hey, it's Kikyo. She's all yours."

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Thank –you for being patient with me. I have been a little stuck on how to get the story to the next stage. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	23. A Chance Meeting

Chapter 23: A Chance Meeting

* * *

_A/N: Just a quickie to let you know that **'talking'** means thoughts and /**talking/ **is the other side of a phone conversation._

'Inuyasha, how could you?' Kagome found herself running randomly, no destination in mind. She only knew that she wanted to get away.

Kagome soon found herself down by the docks. Finding a bench, she allowed herself to cry. Distantly, she heard her cell phone ringing, but lacked the energy and desire to answer it.

'Inuyasha, how could you do that with her? What about us?' Drawing her knees to her chest, Kagome buried her face in her arms and wept. She cried out her heartache, not noticing that someone sat beside her until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Lifting red rimmed eyes, Kagome looked at the person next to her.

"Are you okay? Is there anything I can do for you?" The speaker was a dark haired man in his mid twenties. Kagome stared at his unusual red eyes before dropping her head back to her knees.

"I'm okay; thank-you for asking." The young man strained to hear her response, smiling gently as he interpreted her mumble.

"I hate to disagree with a beautiful woman, but if you were okay, I doubt that you'd be here crying. Maybe if you talked about what is bothering you, you'll feel better." Kagome peeked at the man sitting beside her. He gave her a look of concern. Straightening a bit, Kagome put a hand to her temple, trying to rub away the beginnings of a headache. She gave him a small smile.

"My name is Kagome. What is your name?"

"I beg your pardon, my name is Naraku. Why is such a beautiful woman such as yourself down here weeping as if you've lost everything?"

Kagome sniffed and told him about Inuyasha and Kikyo. She told him about being engaged, but did not say anything about the soul connection. As her tale went on, Kagome found herself crying again. Naraku gathered her in his arms and allowed her to cry on his shoulder.

"It sounds as if your Inuyasha doesn't deserve you. I know that I wouldn't do that to my fiancée. If I had a girlfriend do to me what Kikyo had done, I would never have taken her back. I think that it is a good thing to have learned this about Inuyasha now, instead of when it was too late." Kagome gave him a weak smile.

Naraku stood and held a hand out to Kagome. "Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee and take you back to campus. Remember, you are strong, and don't need him to survive." Kagome took his hand and followed Naraku to his car. Swinging by an espresso shop, they both got drinks to go. A short time later, Naraku pulled up to Kagome's dorm. As she got out, he handed her a business card.

"Here are numbers you can reach me at if you ever need to talk."

Kagome gave him a sad smile before thanking him. Naraku watched her enter the building before driving away.

Kagome slowly climbed the stairs to her room. Opening the door, she saw a worried Sango sitting by the phone.

Sango jumped up when she saw Kagome enter. Her friend looked like hell. "Are you okay Kagome? Where have you been? We've been worried about you."

Kagome flopped down on her bed. "I've been out. I didn't mean to worry anyone. I guess you know what happened?" Sango nodded.

"Inuyasha is frantic. He and Miroku are out looking for you. Inuyasha even went to the shrine to see if you went home. You need to talk to him, Kagome."

"I don't want to talk to him right now. Maybe later." Sango watched as her friend curled onto her side and quickly fell asleep. Sango sighed and grabbed her phone and went out into the hallway so she wouldn't disturb Kagome.

She called Miroku and told him that she was back before she dialed Inuyasha's cell.

"Hey Inuyasha, it's Sango. Kagome is back in the room."

/How is she? Let me talk to her/

"She is sleeping. She really doesn't want to talk to you yet. Give her some time, Inuyasha."

/I'm coming over there. I need to talk to her now/

"Listen you baka! Kagome is upset with you. Right now, she needs to calm down. If you try to push her before she's ready, you could ruin everything!" Sango could hear Inuyasha sigh.

Okay, I won't push her, but we need to get this resolved soon. Keep an eye on her for me Sango./

"I will. Everything will work out Inuyasha. You'll see."

/Thanks Sango. I'll talk to you later./

"Bye Inuyasha."

Sango hung up and went back into the room. She glanced over at her sleeping friend. Kagome's forehead was furrowed and her eyes were clenched as if she was in pain. Sango swept a wayward lock of hair from Kagome's face and sighed. "What a mess. I told you that Kikyo was planning something," Sango whispered before turning back to her books.

* * *

Inuyasha hung up with Sango, breathing a sigh of relief. 'At least she's okay.' He rubbed his head. 'Damn! Just what I need, a fucking headache.' Inuyasha wandered aimlessly across campus before finding himself in front of Koga's apartment.

"Hey Mutt Face, what are you doing here? Come on up!" Inuyasha saw Koga leaning over the edge of his balcony. Waving in agreement, Inuyasha soon found himself settled on Koga's couch with a beer in hand.

"You look like you need it. Just don't tell Ayame I gave it to you, okay?" Inuyasha nodded. Ayame didn't like alcohol in the house, so Koga had to sneak in a stash.

"So, what's up? Why the long face, Yash?"

Inuyasha took a long drink. "I screwed up royally with Kagome. I should have listened to you." Koga gave him a questioning look.

"You ought to know by now that you should always listen to me. What was it this time?"

"Kikyo."

Koga hissed in anger. "What did that bitch do **this **time?"

Inuyasha explained the events leading up to Kagome running from the dorm. "Now she won't even talk to me."

Koga whistled in sympathy. "So, what are you going to do now?" He watched as Inuyasha rubbed his head. "It's started, hasn't it?"

Inuyasha looked startled and dropped his hand. "I think so, but I am not positive. If it hasn't already, it will soon. I need to talk to Kagome and get her to forgive me."

Giving Inuyasha a concerned look, Koga asked "how long do you have?"

"Probably no more than 6 or 7 days. I don't really know. You know that soul connections are rare. I don't remember this happening to a permanent connection before." Inuyasha gave Koga an irritated glare. Standing in frustration, he began to pace. "How can I fix this, Koga?"

Koga watched as his friend ran his fingers through his hair. "Give her a day to calm down and then talk to her. If she won't listen to you, get Sango, Miroku, Ayame and myself to talk to her. You can also use the dream thing as well." Koga gave him an encouraging smile. "Don't worry so much about it. Everything will be okay, you'll see."

"I hope so, Koga. I hope so."

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Naraku has made an appearance – coincidence? I know that he is a little (or a lot) OCC, but that may change. What were Koga and Inuyasha talking about – Inuyasha only having 6 or 7 days? The more reviews I get, the faster I will update._

_As always: Read, Enjoy, and Review_


	24. I need a favor

Chapter 24: "I need a favor."

* * *

"Hey babe." Naraku came up behind his fiancée and kissed the side of her neck. "Phase two has begun." 

Kikyo gave an evil grin. "Good. Soon that bitch will pay for hurting my cousin. If I can hurt Inuyasha at the same time, all the better."

Naraku chuckled. "I never knew you were so close to your cousin Hojo. Why are you doing this for him?"

"We're not really close, but he is family. When he told me that Kagome had led him on all these years, only to dump him for Inuyasha, I figured that I could "kill" two birds with one stone. No one hurts me or my family." Kikyo turned and wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. She drew his tongue into her mouth and sucked on it provocatively. Naraku soon drew back.

"We can continue this later, my dear. Right now I need to strengthen the bond with the girl. She was so distraught that she never noticed the prick to the skin which allowed the toxin to enter her body. It will make her mind susceptible to mine." Naraku laughed evilly. Kikyo smirked in response.

"You are so evil, my love."

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

_**Kagome's Dream**_

_Kagome pushed open Inuyasha's door to find him and Kikyo both naked and rutting like rabbits. Unable to silence her shocked cry, Kagome quickly found both sets of eyes glaring at her in anger._

_Inuyasha disengaged himself from Kikyo and stalked over to Kagome. "What the hell are you doing here, bitch? Haven't you figured out yet that I don't need you anymore? You were only a replacement for Kikyo. I never really even liked you, much less loved you. I only felt sorry for you." With each word Inuyasha uttered, Kagome felt her heart break. She backed up as he drew nearer. "I don't want to see your ugly face ever again!" Inuyasha spat at Kagome before throwing her into the hallway and slamming the door in her face._

"_Inuyasha, why? I don't understand! You promised to always be there for me. What happened?" Kagome sagged to her knees and sobbed in the empty hallway._

"_You never deserved Inuyasha." Kagome looked up and saw Sango standing before her. "You were the reason he was injured in the accident. Because Shippo was after you, Inuyasha almost lost his life." Kagome stared at Sango in shock, tears streaming down her face._

"_Inuyasha is better off with Kikyo, rather than with someone like you." Turning her head, Kagome saw Miroku glaring down at her. "You are such a needy person, I don't understand how anyone can stand to be around you."_

"_Kagome." A familiar, soothing voice broke through Kagome's tumultuous thoughts. Miroku and Sango disappeared, replaced by Naraku's concerned face. "It is okay, Kagome. Inuyasha is not worth your time and concern."_

"_Kagome sniffled quietly. "But Sango and Miroku…"_

"_If your friends take his side, then they are not really your friends. You don't need them, Kagome." Naraku gathered the unresisting girl in his arms. "You don't need to talk to Inuyasha and listen to his lies. Nothing he could say will make up for his betrayal."_

_Kagome snuggled into his warmth. "He's not worth it," she sighed._

_**End of Dream**_

Sango had just fallen asleep when she was woken by Kagome thrashing and crying in the bunk below her. Hopping down, Sango tried to calm her friend. She sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed Kagome's shoulder, murmuring comforting words. Kagome never woke, but soon calmed down and settled deeper into sleep. Drawing the covers back over the now calm girl, Sango kissed Kagome's forehead before climbing back into her bed.

* * *

Kagome woke the next morning to find Sango already gone to class. The headache that started the day before was still there. In fact, it seemed to have gotten worse. Swallowing a couple of aspirin, Kagome got ready for class and left the room. She opened the door to find a single white rose on the threshold. Sucking in a deep breathe, Kagome crushed it under her heel and stalked off to class.

Sango, Koga, and Ayame were all crowded into Miroku's and Inuyasha's room. They were there to discuss what they could do to get their friends back together.

"Damn it! Kagome won't even look at me, much less talk to me. I can't even reach her through the dreams. It is almost as if something is blocking me." Inuyasha lay on his bed with his arm thrown over his eyes. He clenched his fists in frustration.

"Kagome will at least talk to me, but the moment I start to say something about this mess, she acts like I'm not even there." Sango glanced around the room as the others nodded their agreement.

"It appears that she is doing the same thing to all of us." Miroku stroked his chin in thought.

"Hey Yash, how are you holding up?"

Inuyasha moved his arm from his eyes and glared at Koga. "How the hell do you think I am holding up? My fiancée won't talk to me and the soul connection is being strained, resulting in the worst fucking headache of my life. Other than that, I am doing just peachy, thanks for asking."

"I think that the strain is affecting Kagome worse. She wasn't able to get out of bed today due to the pain."

"I don't understand what the headaches have to do with the strain on the soul bond." Ayame looked confused.

"Kagome feels that Inuyasha has betrayed her with Kikyo and she is in denial of the bond. That, along with the emotional pain that she is suffering has caused the strain in the connection. When that happens, the pair will suffer physical pain – in this case, headaches – that will continue to worsen until their bodies give up and death occurs." Miroku explained. Ayame looked horrified; her expression was mirrored by the others in the room.

After a long moment of tense silence, Miroku spoke again. "I believe I know what may be blocking the dreams, Inuyasha." Everyone's focus was upon the young man as he continued. "My uncle told me about a substance that allows a "controller" to manipulate the victim's dreams. If Kagome had been injected with this toxin, it would explain why you can't reach her dreams."

Inuyasha propped himself up with his elbow. "Is there something that can counter this stuff?"

Miroku nodded. "Kaede will probably have the needed herbs. Do you think that she could get them here in time?"

"Hell yeah! Sess could fly them here in an hour or so."

"Very good. Sango, do you have any idea who the controller may be?"

Sango thought for a moment before answering. "Kagome has mentioned a Naraku. I don't know anyone by that name. It may be him."

"Okay then, this is what I need everyone to do. Inuyasha, I need you to call Kaede and have the list of herbs that I will give you delivered ASAP. Sango, I need you to see what you can find out from Kagome about this Naraku. Koga and Ayame, I need you two to dig up anything you can find on him. See if you can find any connection between him and Kikyo." Everyone nodded and quickly took their leave.

Inuyasha dialed Kaede's number. "Hey Kaede, I need a favor."

* * *

TBC 

_A/N: Thank – you for all the wonderful reviews I received on the last chapter. I want everyone to know that they really inspire me to write more of this story. Please continue to Read, Enjoy, and Review! The more reviews, the sooner I will update._

_I wanted to say that Hojo is not vindictive in my story, that pleasure belongs to his cousin, Kikyo. Now you know Naraku's connection to Kikyo; Kikyo's connection to Kagome; and why Inuyasha only has a few days to resolve the problems between him and Kagome (see chapter 6 regarding the consequences). _


	25. The Vigil

Chapter 25: The Vigil

* * *

Early the next morning, Sango answered the knock on her door. She opened it to find Ayame and Koga, with Miroku helping to support Inuyasha. Sango quickly ushered them inside the room before closing the door.

Inuyasha stepped away from Miroku and staggered over to Kagome's bed, collapsing to his knees. He gently ran his fingers down her face. Kagome didn't even twitch.

"She hasn't responded to me since yesterday evening. By the way, Inuyasha, you don't look much better. I don't think we have much more time." Inuyasha nodded, not taking his eyes from Kagome.

"That is why we are here. Kaede said that Kagome and Inuyasha need to be in the same room when they take the potion." Miroku pulled out two small vials containing a thick green liquid.

Inuyasha finally tore his gaze from Kagome and looked at the friends gathered around him. "Have you guys found out anything about this Naraku?"

Koga decided to give his information first. "His name is Naraku Onigumo. He is the CEO for Tokyo Industries, but that is rumored to be nothing more than a front for his illegal activities. It is said that for the correct price, Naraku can get you anything you want, from narcotics to weapons to human slaves."

Miroku nodded. Naraku's connections would explain how he was able to get the toxin that was currently running through Kagome's system. "Sango, you learn anything from Kagome?"

"Yeah. She told me that she had met him down at the docks the other day. They talked for awhile; he bought her coffee and then drove her home. Kagome talked as if he was her best friend." Miroku reached out and took Sango's hand, squeezing it in response to the pain he heard in her voice.

"I found an engagement notice dated several months back. You'll never guess who Naraku is getting hitched to." Everyone looked at Ayame, who had been silent up to this point.

Inuyasha growled. "Let me guess, Kikyo?" Ayame nodded. Silence fell in the room as everyone processed the information they had been given. Inuyasha groaned and laid his head on Kagome's bed. "Hey Koga?"

"Yeah, Yash?"

"Are your cousins still in town?"

Koga looked surprised. "Yeah, Ginta, Hakkaku and the others are in town. Why?"

Inuyasha reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and handed it to Koga without lifting his head. "I want you to take them with you to this address. Sesshomaru sent it with the herbs. Evidently, this is where Naraku hangs out and I want you there to take him down if I fail."

Koga took the paper with the address from his friend; a solemn look in his eyes. "You got it Yash. Knowing you though, we will only be there for mop up duty. I know that you will get Kagome back."

"Thanks man." Koga stood and clasped Inuyasha's shoulder before leaving to gather his family.

"I am going with him." Ayame stood and smiled at Sango's surprised look. "Someone has to keep him out of trouble." She turned and followed Koga out of the building.

"Are you ready to do this, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah. No sense putting it off any longer. Do you know what I will be dealing with?" Inuyasha dragged himself onto the bed next Kagome and lay down, gathering her into his arms.

"Once you both drink the potion, you will be able to enter her dreams. Once there, you will have to convince Kagome that you did not betray her. As soon as Kagome begins to acknowledge your presence, Naraku will know. He will force his way into the dream, but it will take a little time for him to get through due to the effects of the potion. Once he shows up, you will have a fight on your hands."

Miroku handed one of the vials to Inuyasha who slowly and carefully got Kagome to swallow it without choking. Miroku handed him the second vial. Inuyasha stared at it for a moment before looking at his friends. "I just wanted to say thanks for everything you have done for us." Closing his eyes, Inuyasha swallowed the bottle's contents and then laid down beside his fiancée. Soon, his breathing deepened, telling Miroku and Sango that he had fallen asleep.

Sango looked at her boyfriend as he checked on Kagome and Inuyasha. "Why did he sound like he wasn't going to come back?"

Miroku was silent for a moment before making his way over to sit beside Sango. Drawing her into his arms, Miroku whispered sadly, "Inuyasha has been weakened by the strain to the soul connection. If he can't convince Kagome that nothing happened between him and Kikyo and get her to forgive him, they'll die. If Naraku manages to kill Inuyasha's soul in the dream, his body here will die and Kagome will quickly follow. The odds are against them and Inuyasha knows it." Sango began to cry softly on Miroku's shoulder.

"Is there anything we can do to help them?" she asked, swallowing a sob as tears ran down her face.

"We have done everything we can. We gave Inuyasha a chance to make things right. Now it is up to them." Miroku held Sango tighter as she allowed the sobs she'd been suppressing out. Soon his tears mingled with hers as the vigil for their friends began.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. I will update as long as I get reviews. I am nearing the 100 mark for this story and I am sooooooo excited! Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! As always, Read, Enjoy and Review!_


	26. Forgiven

Chapter 26: Forgiven

* * *

_Inuyasha found himself on the grassy hillside. He relaxed slightly as he realized that the potion Miroku gave them worked and that he was now able to connect with Kagome in the dream._

_Kagome was huddled beneath the tree; twitching and crying out as if she were in the midst of a nightmare. Making his way over to her, Inuyasha reached out to touch her shoulder. At his touch, Kagome's eyes flew open and she drew back with a gasp. He watched with tears in his eyes as Kagome curled into a tight ball and started weeping harder than before._

"_I am sorry, Inuyasha. I never meant to hurt you. It is all my fault. I am not worthy of your friendship. I am sorry…" Inuyasha couldn't listen to her incoherent rambling any longer. He picked Kagome up and cradled her body tightly against his. She struggled for a moment but Inuyasha only held her tighter._

"_Kagome, listen to me." She whimpered and continued to apologize and cry. "Kagome…" Inuyasha sighed in frustration as he failed to get her attention. He could feel the despair radiating from the soul connection._

'_How can I get you to listen to me, Kagome?' Inuyasha sat rocking the weeping woman as he tried to come up with a plan. After a moment, Inuyasha loosened an arm and took Kagome's face in his hand. Tilting it towards his, he captured her lips with his own, stilling the spill of words from her mouth. He concentrated on sending as much love through the bond to Kagome that he possibly could, hoping that it would be enough to bring her back to him. _

_At the first touch of Inuyasha's lips, Kagome stiffened and then slowly relaxed. She tentatively began returning the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck._

_Inuyasha reluctantly broke off the kiss and leaned back, looking into Kagome's eyes. "I love you, Kagome."_

"_Inuyasha?" Kagome searched his face for a long moment, feeling the love that he was pouring through their shared bond. Sighing deeply, she leaned into his warmth and loosely wrapped her arms around his waist. "I am so sorry Inuyasha."_

"_Shh. You have nothing to apologize for. I love you with all that I am. Never doubt that, Kagome."_

"_But I saw you with Kikyo…"_

"_Will you allow me to explain what really happened that day?" Kagome gave a slight nod._

"_Kikyo had come over for help on some chemistry problems. I had been sleeping until she showed up at the room. I wasn't really thinking clearly as we sat on my bed and went over the problems. Kikyo obviously had been planning on something like this for quite a while. When she heard you in the hallway, she threw me back onto my bed and started kissing me. I was shocked and couldn't move for a minute. That is when you came in. When you ran out, I threw her off and tried to follow you, but you were already gone."_

_Kagome allowed his explanation to sink in. "I understand what you are telling me. However, I am having a hard time believing it. You and Kikyo looked like you were enjoying yourselves."_

_Inuyasha sighed and laid his cheek on the top of Kagome's head. He decided to try a different tactic. "Kagome, have I ever intentionally hidden anything from you?"_

"_You mean other than the soul connection?"_

_Inuyasha blushed. "That was not intentional, but yeah." Kagome shook her head. "I have not lied to you either." She sat up and started to say something, but Inuyasha silenced her with a finger to her lips. "Think back to that day, Kagome. Did you feel anything through the soul bond?" _

_She looked at him blankly. "What?"_

"_Did you feel any emotion through the bond when you saw me with Kikyo?" _

_Kagome hesitated before shaking her head. "No, I don't think so. Why?"_

"_Think about it for a moment. If Kikyo and I were making out, I definitely would be thinking lustful thoughts, which you would have picked up through the connection. Did you sense anything even remotely like that?"_

_Kagome shook her head again. "No, I didn't. If anything, all I felt was shock, but I think that it was just me." _

"_Some of it was probably from me." Kagome flashed Inuyasha a huge smile before drawing him into a passionate kiss. When they finally broke for air, Inuyasha chuckled._

"_I bet that you can feel that through the bond!" Kagome blushed deeply before starting to giggle softly. Laying her head against Inuyasha's chest once again, she gave a big sigh._

"_I am sorry I doubted you, Inuyasha. I should have listened to you and to the others when you tried to explain."_

"_I am sorry as well, Kagome. It was partially my fault for allowing Kikyo to get me in that situation in the first place. You don't carry any of the blame here, though. It all belongs to Naraku."_

"_Naraku? What does he have to do with this?"_

"_Naraku and Kikyo are engaged. When he met you down on the pier, he managed to inject you with a toxin that allowed him to control your dreams. He was able to block me from your dreams and also manipulate you into believing the worst. The soul connection became strained and was causing the headaches. If we hadn't been able to reconcile, we would have been dead by morning."_

"_Why would they do this to me?"_

"_Who knows? Maybe Kikyo wanted to get back at me by hurting you." Kagome sat quietly in Inuyasha's arms; both of them relaxing in the glow of their love for one another._

_A dark mist appeared out of nowhere and fell over the hillside where the two lovers sat. When it lifted, Inuyasha and Kagome found themselves standing on a flat plain. Kagome gasped and Inuyasha spun around to see her dressed as a miko from feudal Japan. Looking down at himself, Inuyasha found that he was now wearing a red haori and carried a battered sword that looked suspiciously like the one in the shrine's gift shop._

"_What the hell? Where are we and what are we wearing?"_

"_Inuyasha, your ears!" He put his hands to his head, only to find that his ears were now on top of his head and were shaped like a dog's. Not only that, but he now had fangs and claws._

"_What do you think of my 'dream', Inuyasha?" Inuyasha turned and saw a dark haired man wearing the kimono of a feudal lord._

_Placing himself in front of Kagome, Inuyasha began to growl. "You must be Naraku!"

* * *

_

TBC

_A/N: Yeah! I have surpassed the 100 review mark for my story! Thank-you everyone who has reviewed! I hope that you continue to enjoy the story. Please continue to read, enjoy and review! Thank-you_


	27. Battle

_A/N: I don't normally put my notes at the beginning of the chapters, but I had several people comment that the last chapter was confusing. I hope that this note will help with that problem. With this chapter, the story done in italics is in the dreamscape with Inuyasha and Kagome; everything else is in the normal world. Enjoy!

* * *

_

Chapter 27: Battle

"Hey Miroku," Sango shook the young man's shoulder, drawing his attention from Kagome's and Inuyasha's sleeping forms. "I am going to go get something to eat. You want anything?"

Miroku shook his head. "No thanks. I am not hungry." He turned his focus back towards his friends. Sango gave him a tender look before leaving the room. Miroku heard the door close behind him and sighed. Standing up from the chair, he stretched and looked at the clock. There had been no noticeable change from the two on the bed fro the past 2 hours, and he was starting to worry.

'Come on guys, you can beat this!' Miroku walked over to the window and looked out across the campus. Lost in thought, he almost missed the sigh and the creak of bed springs. Miroku turned and saw that Kagome had turned towards Inuyasha and had snuggled into his arms. Both were smiling slightly and all traces of pain were gone. Miroku grinned. "I knew it! Way to go guys!" he whispered softly.

Sango returned only to be greeted by Miroku's enthusiastic kiss. "What was that for?" she asked when they finally parted.

"Inuyasha and Kagome have reconciled. The soul connection is no longer being strained!" Sango gave a cry of delight and looked over at her friends.

"They will wake soon then, right?" Miroku's smile faded as he shook his head.

"Not yet. They still have to deal with Naraku. I am sure that he will not give Kagome up easily."

* * *

Kikyo lay snuggled on Naraku's chest as they rested after engaging in some 'exercise'. She was almost asleep when Naraku sat up, dumping her onto the bed. He began cursing loudly. "What is wrong, Naraku?"

"Damn it! Someone is interfering with my control over Kagome!"

"What? Who would be doing such a thing? I thought you said that no one would be able to figure out what we were doing!" Kikyo jumped out of the bed and horridly threw on some clothes.

"No one should have been able to identify the toxin, much less know how to bypass the effects!"

"Well, someone obviously knows about it!" she spat. "I want you to fix this Naraku! I want her and whoever is helping her dead!"

Naraku snarled. "Get me the green vial from my desk." Kikyo found the requested item and threw it at him. He caught it and swallowed the liquid it contained before laying back down. "I will join her dreams and kill her and anyone else who dares to interfere." He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Kikyo watched him for a while before going out to the kitchen to get a snack. Walking past the living room, she saw something from the corner of her eye through the window. She stopped and took a closer look only to see Koga's smiling face. Seeing that he had her attention, he gave her a little wave. He watched as her eyes widened as she took in the fact that he wasn't alone; that his cousins surrounded him and the house. Kikyo gave a scream of rage and yanked the curtains closed, shutting out the hated sight.

Grabbing the phone, Kikyo yelled at the man who answered. "Hiten, get your guys over here now! We've got company and Naraku is occupied!"

Koga laughed as Kikyo shut the curtains. "I get the impression that she is not happy to see us, cousin," Ginta said as he cracked his knuckle in anticipation.

"I get the same impression. Make sure the others are ready. I would bet that she is calling for backup. Just remember that Kikyo and Naraku are ours," Koga gestured to Ayame and himself. Ginta and Hakkaku nodded and passed word on to the others.

* * *

_Naraku sketched a mocking bow. "Naraku Onigumo at your service." He stood upright and studied Inuyasha and Kagome closely. "I am surprised that you were able to counteract the toxin in Kagome's body. Not many people even know that it exists."_

"_Feh! You'll find that we are full of surprises." Inuyasha put his hand to the battered sword at his waist. "What do you want with us?"_

"_Ahh, yes. I was actually only after Kagome; you were only an added bonus. Imagine Kikyo's surprise when her cousin told her he'd been dumped by her ex's fiancée." Naraku stood relaxed as a smirk appeared on his face._

"_What? I don't know who you are referring to Naraku. I never dumped anyone!" Kagome pushed her way past Inuyasha and glared at the man in front of her._

"_That is not what Hojo said."_

"_Hojo? Hojo is Kikyo's cousin?" _

_Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's arm and yanked her back behind him. "Who the hell cares about Kikyo's messed up family. I will not allow you to hurt Kagome any longer!"_

"_Tsk, tsk. You should really learn to control your temper. Now you've gotten me angry!" Suddenly Naraku's lower body changed shape, becoming a mass of roiling tentacles. _

_Inuyasha and Kagome watched in stunned fascination as one of the tentacles thrust towards them with blinding speed. Grabbing Kagome by the waist, Inuyasha leapt out of the way. "Stay here, away from Naraku." Inuyasha quickly kissed Kagome and then ran back towards the mutated form of Naraku. Drawing his sword, he barely managed to dodge the tentacle aimed at his chest. Inuyasha swung at it as it passed him, severing the tentacle in two._

_Naraku pulled back and studied his opponent for a moment. "Very good Inuyasha! This will be more interesting than I thought."_

"_Shut up, you bastard!" Inuyasha held his sword over his shoulder and ran towards Naraku. As he neared, the sword transformed into a formidable fang. Inuyasha leapt into the air and shouted "Wind Scar!" causing a powerful blast to strike Naraku's body. Inuyasha landed and looked where Naraku stood, only to see dust and a dark mist where he had been._

"_Inuyasha, watch out!" Turning at Kagome's warning, Inuyasha felt a sharp pain in his side, only to see that one of Naraku's tentacles had carved a furrow on his side._

"_I am not that easy to get rid of, Inuyasha." Naraku stood to one side. Inuyasha saw that the blast had done some damage, but not enough to slow him down._

"_That just means I get to do it again! Wind Scar!" Once again, the flash erupted from the sword while Naraku disappeared within the dust. Inuyasha watched warily, trying to see where he had gone. Suddenly, Inuyasha felt a blow to his shoulder and another to his hip. Looking down, he found himself impaled upon two of Naraku's tentacles.

* * *

_

Sango gasped as spots of blood appeared on Inuyasha. She rushed over to the bed and looked for the cause of the bleeding, but she could not see anything. The 'wounds' on his shoulder and hip continued to bleed profusely. "Miroku, what is going on? Where is the blood coming from?" she asked worriedly.

"The fight with Naraku has begun. Inuyasha has received the wounds in battle. The blood we see is his blood. If he doesn't stop bleeding soon, he'll die."

* * *

_Naraku emerged from the dust, holding Inuyasha above the ground. "Foolish boy! Did you truly believe you could defeat me here in my own 'dream'?" He threw Inuyasha's body to the ground. Inuyasha struggled to get to his feet, only to collapse in a growing pool of blood. "Now I will take care of Kagome. Maybe I can have a little fun with her first."_

_Kagome had watched in fear as Inuyasha battled Naraku. When he had been impaled by the tentacles, she felt the pain echo through the bond. Heedless of her own safety, Kagome ran over to Inuyasha's body; only to find herself dangling in the air. Naraku had grabbed her with one of his tentacles and was bringing her closer to his misshapen body. "INUYASHA!"

* * *

_

TBC

_A/N: Cliffy! The more reviews I get, the sooner I will update! As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	28. Power of Love

_A/N: Like the last chapter, the part of the story in italics is Kagome and Inuyasha in the dreamscape. Normal type is in the regular world. Enjoy!

* * *

_

Chapter 28: Power of Love

* * *

"_KAGOME!"_ _Kagome saw Inuyasha try to stand, but he was unable to get his body to work properly._

_Naraku brought Kagome up close to his body. "You are quite beautiful. I can see why Hojo wanted you. I think I may keep you for myself." He tilted his head to Kagome's and kissed her. Kagome almost gagged as she felt his tongue prodding at her lips._

_SLAP! Naraku pulled back, touching a hand to his now red cheek. Kagome couldn't believe that she had done that and began to tremble. He gave the frightened girl a furious look. "So you want to play rough? Fine!" Naraku grabbed Kagome by her neck and started to squeeze.

* * *

_

Koga leaned against his car with his arms folded across his chest. He kept his eyes on the house while he listened to Ayame talking to Sango on her cell phone. His eyes glanced at her quickly after she hung up, "Well, what is the news with Yash and Kagome?"

Ayame smiled as she said, "Miroku believes that the soul connection has been restored; that they have made up." Koga watched as her smile faded. "It now appears that they are battling Naraku. Inuyasha is 'bleeding' and Kagome has a red mark on her neck."

Koga growled and pushed himself upright. "That is it! I am not going to stand here any longer! Ginta…" A loud roaring drowned out his instructions. Koga and the others turned and watched as a group of thugs on motorcycles and in pickups drove up.

A young man with long, black hair braided down his back leapt out and looked at Koga's group with a sneer. "I don't believe that you were invited to visit. I am afraid that I will have to make you leave," Hiten snarled.

Koga laughed as he felt Ginta, Hakkaku and the others gather behind him. "I don't think so. We were asked to come and take care of some unfinished business." He took a step closer to the black haired man. "But I am willing to take care of you first."

Without further warning, Koga leapt at Hiten, signaling to the others to join the fight. Koga managed to land the first blow before having to dodge Hiten's furious counterattack. He saw Ayame holding her own from the corner of his eye and breathed a little easier, knowing that he didn't need to worry about her.

Everywhere you looked, people were fighting. Hiten landed several good hits to Koga, who looked for his opening. Koga feinted a blow to the left which left him open for attack. Hiten went in for the finishing blow, only to be met with Koga's fist to the side of his face. Koga watched as his opponent dropped to the ground unconscious, a dark bruise quickly forming where Koga had broken Hiten's jaw.

Looking around, Koga saw that most of the fights were finished, his cousins finishing up the last few. Ginta sat to one side holding an arm across his ribs while Hakkaku stood cradling his swollen hand. Turning towards the house, Koga saw Ayame standing at the door, gesturing him to join her. "Come on Koga! We need to get to Naraku!" Koga quickly joined her and started to pick the lock when they heard a loud scream come from inside.

* * *

_Kagome wrapped her hands around the one holding her neck, trying to get Naraku to release her. Her vision began to darken as her body cried out for the oxygen that it was being deprived._

_Inuyasha watched helplessly as Kagome struggled to breathe. Tears fell from his eyes as he realized that they were going to die here. Inuyasha focused all of his love for Kagome once more through the soul connection. He had to let her know one last time that he loved her._

_Kagome was quickly weakening. She could feel Inuyasha's love flooding the connection as well as the underlying sadness. She also realized that they were not going to survive this encounter. 'No, I don't want to die! It isn't fair! It isn't our time to go!'_

_Kagome felt the love that Inuyasha sent her swell and join with the love she felt for him. The combined love filled her with an indescribable power. Her body, unable to contain the vast amount of power now running through it, began to glow with a bright purple light. Naraku's eyes widened as she began to glow. He felt the energy building in the frail-seeming girl he held._

_Kagome renewed her hold on Naraku and channeled the power through her hands and into his body. She gave him a cold smile as the power coursed through his body. "You will not win, Naraku!" He opened his mouth to scream, only to disappear in a flash of purple light. Kagome fell to her knees, landing in a pile of ash, all that remained of Naraku._

_Inuyasha had watched as Kagome started to glow and channel the power to Naraku. He closed his eyes with the flash of light. When he reopened them, Kagome was kneeling beside him. Inuyasha looked for Naraku, noticing the pile of ash where he had last seen him. "Kagome, I am sorry." He gasped as he felt his wounds start bleeding again. Kagome put her fingers to his lips to quiet him._

"_Naraku is gone. We are okay." Kagome ran her hands over the wounds, bathing them in the purple glow of their shared love. As the glow faded, the wounds closed, leaving nary a scar behind._

_Inuyasha sat up when the wounds had healed. He reached a hand out to touch the red bruise on Kagome's neck. The purple glow flared before fading, taking the ugly bruise with it. Kagome grasped his hand and brought it to her cheek. She rested her face in his hand as he gently stroked the side of her face._

"_I love you, Kagome. I always will."_

"_I know Inuyasha. I love you too."_

"_What happened to Naraku? What was that purple glow?"_

"_The purple light was the manifested power of our shared love for one another. The darkness of Naraku's soul could not withstand the intense purity of our love. His soul was purified, leaving only ash."_

_Inuyasha smiled gently at her. Leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Let's go home." Kagome smiled and nodded.

* * *

_

"When Ayame and I got into the house, Kikyo was having hysterics in the bedroom. She kept crying about Naraku becoming a pile of ash. We didn't see any sign of him, and there was no way he could have gotten out without us knowing it. The cops came and took Kikyo and the surviving gang members into custody." Koga took a drink of his soda as the friends once again crowded into the small dorm room.

Inuyasha and Kagome sat on her bed; Kagome nestled up against his chest with his arms wrapped protectively around her. Sango sat on her bed with Miroku's head lying in her lap. Ayame sat on the floor next to Koga.

"Well, Kikyo was actually telling the truth about Naraku," laughed Inuyasha. "Kagome purified his soul and that was what was left." Gasps of surprise echoed through the room.

"Was that the purple glow that surrounded you guys for a while?" Miroku asked curiously. Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, the power of our love for each other," she smiled up at Inuyasha, "was too much for him to handle." Inuyasha smiled back and kissed the tip of her nose.

"I, for one, am very glad that this mess is over," Sango said emphatically. The others all murmured their agreement. "Maybe now things can go back to normal."

'Normal, what is that?'

* * *

TBC?

_A/N: I hope that you liked this chapter. I am wrapping up this story. I may post an epilogue, but haven't figured it out yet. I may go for a sequel. What do you think? Please let me know with your reviews. As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review._


	29. Not the End

Chapter 29: Not the End

* * *

_Finals were over; classes were out for the summer. Most of the students had already left, heading home or going on vacations. Kagome and Inuyasha were finishing loading his car._

"That's the last of it!" Inuyasha slammed the trunk down on his car.

"I guess I will see you in a week then."

Inuyasha nodded. "I wish you were coming up with me. I don't want to let you out of my sight." He leaned down and placed a kiss on Kagome's lips, savoring the moment.

Kagome giggled lightly, "I will be up after Eri's wedding. And before you ask, Kaede needs you home to help her prepare for a conference." Inuyasha sighed.

"I know, but I worry about you when you're not with me."

Kagome reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I will be okay, Inuyasha. We'll see each other every night and I'll be heading up before you know it." She stepped back and Inuyasha got into his car. "I'll see you soon, my beloved."

"Take care, my angel. See you soon." Inuyasha pulled out into the street; Kagome watched as his car disappeared. After a moment, she turned and headed for her car.

'I am glad that our freshman year is over. May the upcoming years be a little less exciting than this one.' With that thought, Kagome got into her car and headed home.

* * *

The End

_A/N: I wanted to say thank-you to all who reviewed; without you, I would have lost my inspiration. I will be doing a sequel; right now I am sketching out the plot. In the meantime, I am working on my first attempt at a one-shot song fic, and I have an idea for a different story. _

_If anyone is interested in being my beta, I would appreciate the help. I would like to clean this story up a little. If you are interested and have the time, please let me know. Thank-you. Until next time!_

_**My reviewers** (I apologize if I have missed anyone)_

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	30. Author Note

A/N: I just wanted everyone to know that I have started posting the sequel to I'll Be There For You. It is called Living The Promise. You can find it by searching by my author name or by the title. I hope that everyone will enjoy it as much as people have enjoyed this one. I hope to see your reviews! Thanks


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